An October 25 executive report noted China's R&D spending reached 2.8% of GDP, surpassing the OECD average for the first time, a milestone for the country's innovation intensity. Official data showed the economy expanded 4.6% in the first three quarters of 2026, with high-tech manufacturing up 14.3%.
Output of lithium-ion batteries rose 39.5% and industrial robots 29.1% in the period, underscoring the weight of advanced manufacturing in growth. The figures accompany a broader push where AI and new energy are central to industrial upgrading.
The R&D milestone matters because it signals sustained investment in foundational and applied research even amid external technology restrictions. Higher R&D intensity underpins breakthroughs in chips, batteries, robotics and AI models that have driven China's export resilience.
Together with record open-source AI model downloads and humanoid-robot dominance, the data paint an economy where innovation is converting into real output across manufacturing and services.
Source: China Science & Technology
