China approved its 15th five-year plan, focusing on technological self-sufficiency. Airbus is expanding production in Tianjin, and China launched its first all-electric cargo ship powered by hydrogen fuel cells. We present an overview of key projects shaping China's strategy in the high-tech sector.

Key Highlights:

  • China approved the 15th five-year plan (2026-2030) with investments in clean energy and the high-tech sector.
  • Chinese company Innovent signed a deal with Japanese company Takeda for cancer drugs worth $11.4 billion.
  • Airbus opened a second assembly line for the A320 in Tianjin, which is expected to be fully operational by early 2026.
  • China unveiled "UBIOS" as a replacement for UEFI as part of its efforts to achieve technological self-sufficiency.
  • China's oil reserves reached nearly 1 million barrels per day.
  • The Sunway supercomputer achieved 98% efficiency in neural networks for quantum chemistry.
  • China now supplies over 60% of the global market for energy storage batteries.
  • The first all-electric cargo ship, the "Yangtze River Star," was launched, powered by hydrogen fuel cells and with a capacity of over 10,000 tons.

China Unveils 15th Five-Year Plan Focused on Technological Self-Sufficiency

The 15th five-year plan (2026–2030) was presented at the October plenary session of the Communist Party of China in 2025. The plan focuses on technological self-sufficiency, artificial intelligence, and green innovation and prioritizes sectors such as AI, biotechnology, renewable energy, aerospace and astronautics, and new materials. The goal is to transform China into a global innovation center .

The plan calls for building a modern industrial system led by advanced manufacturing, while also strengthening domestic consumption and improving living standards. Technological progress is linked to national security, and rapid development is emphasized in areas including quantum technologies, bio-manufacturing, hydrogen and fusion energy, brain-computer interfaces, and 6G mobile communication.

Record-Breaking Biotech Deal: Innovent and Takeda

Japanese pharmaceutical giant Takeda entered into a licensing agreement with Chinese company Innovent Biologics for up to three cancer drugs in a transaction valued at over $11.4 billion. Innovent will receive an upfront payment of $1.2 billion, which includes a strategic capital investment of $100 million from Takeda with a 20% premium, and is eligible for up to $10.2 billion in potential milestone payments. The agreement covers two therapies in late-stage development: IBI363 (a bispecific antibody targeting PD-1/IL-2) and IBI343 (an antibody-drug conjugate targeting Claudin 18.2). Takeda will obtain the rights to develop and commercialize these drugs outside of China.

Airbus Opens Second Assembly Line in Tianjin Despite Geopolitical Pressures

Airbus has opened its second final assembly line (FAL) for the A320 in Tianjin, China. This move follows an agreement signed in April 2023 between Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury and Chinese partners. The facility is expected to reach full operation in early 2026 and will help Airbus achieve its goal of assembling 75 A320 aircraft per month by 2027. The new line, equipped with the latest technologies and sustainable practices, complements Airbus's global network of ten assembly lines. Since its opening in 2008, the first Tianjin assembly line has delivered over 780 A320 aircraft. This expansion also marks the 40th anniversary of Airbus's cooperation with Chinese civil aviation and underscores the company's commitment to the growing Chinese market.

China Unveils UBIOS as a Replacement for UEFI

China has unveiled a new firmware standard, "UBIOS" (Unified Basic Input/Output System), as a replacement for the American UEFI and BIOS. The development involved 13 Chinese technology companies, including Huawei, CESI, Byosoft, and Kunlun Tech. The new standard is designed to support chip technologies and heterogeneous computing, including multi-processor boards and non-x86 architectures such as ARM, RISC-V, and LoongArch. This initiative is part of China's broader effort to reduce its reliance on US standards and technologies, driven by the "Document 79" doctrine, which advocates for phasing out Western technologies by 2027.

Massive Oil Reserves in China Aim for 1 Million Barrels Per Day

Since March 2025, China has been stockpiling oil at a rate of nearly 1 million barrels per day, driven by a new energy law from January that requires private companies to hold more oil to strengthen national energy security. Analysts estimate that China's storage facilities are 60% full, with plans to build 11 new storage sites in the next two years. This trend in stockpiling is primarily due to lower oil prices and geopolitical uncertainties, including sanctions on Russian and Iranian oil. The trend is expected to slow down as storage capacity approaches its limit.

China Dominates the Global Energy Storage Battery Market

China currently supplies over 60% of the world's energy storage batteries and approximately 70% of battery materials. China's production of energy storage batteries has increased more than 10-fold, reaching over 1,000 GWh in 2024, compared to 83.4 GWh in 2020. In the first nine months of 2025, the cumulative installed capacity increased by 43% year-on-year to 493.9 GWh, and battery exports increased by 33% to approximately 130 GWh. Chinese companies are expanding their global presence through investments in factories abroad and research centers in Europe and Southeast Asia.

Breakthrough in Quantum Chemistry on the Sunway Supercomputer

Chinese researchers have achieved a significant milestone in neural networks for quantum chemistry by scaling quantum simulations to real molecular sizes on the Sunway supercomputer. They achieved 98% weak scaling efficiency across 37 million processor cores, demonstrating near-perfect synchronization between the algorithm and the supercomputer's architecture. The Sunway supercomputer, equipped with SW26010-Pro chips, is particularly well-suited for the repetitive training loops required in deep learning. This advancement could accelerate the discovery of materials and molecular modeling.

Breakthrough in Green Logistics: China Launches First Hydrogen-Powered Cargo Ship with Capacity of Over 10,000 Tons

China has launched the first global cargo ship with a carrying capacity of over 10,000 tons, marking a significant milestone in green shipping. The Gezhouba, with a carrying capacity of 13,740 tons, was launched near the Three Gorges Dam in Yichang, Hubei province. The ship is 130 meters long and is equipped with 12 sets of containerized lithium-ion battery energy units, providing a range of 500 kilometers. It will reduce fuel consumption by 617.5 tons and CO2 emissions by 2,052 tons per year. Yichang, a major manufacturing center for inland cargo ships, built 150 new vessels last year, including 50 new energy-powered ships (Original article revised and shortened).

Tomáš Kučera & Yereth Jansen
China-insights.com/gnews.cz