The State Council of China has published on the government website (http://english.gov.cn), on January 18, the first medium-long term restructuring and promotion plan for the industry, which will particularly involve the hi-tech sectors and the field of scientific innovations. As Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang stressed at a national labor conference on industrialization and information economy on December 24, 2011, scientific innovations, as well as raising information levels, are a key element for the restructuring of the industry, as well as the foundations for ensuring growth in social welfare.
According to the industrial restructuring and promotion plan, it is expected to maintain a growth in value-added production, of industry in general, of around 8% and a 10% annual increase in overall labor productivity during the next four years. In particular, the value-added production of emerging industries should cover, by 2015, 15% of the country's total value-added production.
Efforts will focus on optimizing the raw material industry, renovating machinery for the manufacturing sector, enhancing competitiveness in the electronics field, promoting the consumer goods industry, and developing the service sector. closely related to industrial production.
Spending on research and development is essential for the achievement of these objectives: this expenditure will be equal to at least 1% of the profits of the major industrial companies, while, for key sectors, the minimum percentage will rise to 3%. Companies will have to invest to strengthen their self-innovation skills, focus on the production of quality goods with high added value, create strong local brands, make use of advanced technologies to transform traditional activities, so as to increase their competitiveness and market internationally. Particular attention is also paid to the energy sector: with a view to reducing pollution, the plan drawn up by the Chinese authorities in fact provides for the promotion of energy saving. According to the objectives set, the consumption of energy and water per unit of value-added industrial production should decrease by 21% and 30% respectively.
