China ranks 11th among world's most innovative economies

China ranked the 11th among world's most innovative economies in Global Innovation Index 2024 released by the World Intellectual Property Organization, up one spot from the previous year thanks to the country's efforts in fostering new quality productive forces, said an official from China's top economic planner on Friday.

Speaking at a press conference on high-quality development achievements of China's economy in 2024, Zhao Chenxin, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission, said that in 2024, China's innovation vitality continued to be unleashed through the accelerated replacement of old growth drivers by new ones, and the cultivation of new quality productive forces.

"On the one hand, the foundational system supporting comprehensive innovation is accelerating its improvement. The systematic construction of major technological infrastructure is progressing, with significant innovations such as the lunar exploration program and heavy-duty gas turbines continuously emerging. As a result, China's Global Innovation Index ranking had risen to the 11th place in 2024," Zhao said.

"On the other hand, the effects of innovation-driven development are continuously evident. Traditional industries are upgrading faster, emerging industries are developing rapidly, and future-oriented industries are under accelerated planning. The growth rate of added value in high-tech manufacturing has continued to outpace the overall growth rate of the manufacturing sector," said Zhao.

China ranks 11th among world's most innovative economies

China's General Administration of Customs (GAC) on Friday published 15 measures to further support the large-scale development of the western region in the new era.

The new measures focus on the construction of open ports in the western region, supporting the opening or expansion of ports in areas that have needs and meet certain criteria, and promoting the construction of smart ports.

Innovative facilitation measures should be explored for river-sea and rail-sea intermodal transportation, supporting the high-quality development of multimodal transport, according to the GAC.

Support will also be provided for the construction of international aviation hubs Chengdu, Chongqing, Kunming, Xi'an, and Urumqi among others.

Additionally, reforms such as the integration of comprehensive bonded zones and ports will be explored in the western region.

The newly introduced measures focus on promoting the development of characteristic and advantageous industries in the western region, while building up new quality productive forces in line with local conditions.

Chinese Customs issues new measures to promote development of western region