In May 2015, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and his cabinet issued a strategic industrial plan; its title translates to “Made in China 2025.” The plan took more than two and a half years to draft and included the input of 150 experts from the China Academy of Engineering. Made in China 2025 was described as an “initiative to comprehensively upgrade Chinese industry” by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), an American think tank based in Washington, D.C.

What’s it all about?

A State Council document summarizes Made in China 2025, explains Scott Kennedy, director of the Project on Chinese Business and Political Economy at CSIS. “There are clear and specific measures for innovation, quality, intelligent manufacturing, and green production, and goals set for 2020 and 2025. Its guiding principles are to have manufacturing be innovation-driven, emphasize quality over quantity, achieve green development, optimize the structure of Chinese industry, and nurture human talent.... It promotes the development of not only advanced industries, but traditional industries and modern services.” 

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