BEIJING -- As China's annual "two sessions" get underway, "new quality productive forces," a signature concept proposed by President Xi Jinping, has emerged as a key theme set to shape the nation's future economic development.

While taking part in a deliberation with his fellow deputies from the Jiangsu Province delegation at the national legislative session on Thursday, Xi noted that developing new quality productive forces is crucial for promoting high-quality development and enhancing economic competitiveness.

First put forward in 2023 by Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, the concept of new quality productive forces has seen its essence and pathways come into sharper focus.

During the "two sessions" in 2024, Xi stressed the need to seize the opportunities to nurture emerging and future industries, and to transform and upgrade traditional industries at the same time.

One year later, also at "two sessions," Xi once again stressed the pivotal role of new quality productive forces, emphasizing that sci-tech innovation and industrial innovation form the fundamental path to foster these forces.

Artificial intelligence (AI), as a representative of the new quality productive forces and a standout in China's sci-tech advancements, is now driving upgrading and innovation across industries -- a process Xi has closely followed with keen interest.

At a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in 2018, Xi likened AI to a "lead goose," underscoring that "AI is a strategic technology driving this round of technological revolution and industrial transformation."

Another such group study session that Xi presided over in 2025 once again turned the spotlight to AI. Days later, Xi visited the Shanghai Foundation Model Innovation Center -- an AI incubation hub that is home to over 100 startups.

At the center, he was presented with a range of AI-driven equipment and systems -- robots autonomously gathering experimental data that facilitates drug development; mechanical arms mastering complex tasks for smarter production lines; and AI-powered sorters that can identify waste precisely. This vibrant cluster of innovation is a microcosm of China's broader AI push, where cutting-edge technologies are moving rapidly from labs to real-world scenarios.

China has abundant data resources, a complete industrial system, and huge market potential, offering broad prospects for AI development, said Xi, calling for stronger policy support and talent cultivation in this regard.

Driven by this sustained focus and reinforced by policy support at various levels, China's AI sector has advanced in leaps and bounds. From the notable debut of DeepSeek to the recently tested text-to-video tool Seedance 2.0, the AI sector has witnessed breakthroughs one after another, and proves to be a generative ground for the rise of new quality productive forces.

By the end of 2025, China was already home to over 6,200 AI enterprises, with the core AI industry valued at more than 1.2 trillion yuan (about 173.9 billion U.S. dollars). AI-related industries are expected to exceed 10 trillion yuan by 2030.

The draft outline of the country's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), which was submitted to the national legislature for examination on Thursday, shows that AI will be further harnessed to advance basic science, transform traditional and frontier industries, create new consumption scenarios, innovate governance, and enrich people's daily life.

Beyond AI, Xi is also keeping an eye on other emerging and future-oriented industries.

During this year's first group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in January, he emphasized that cultivating industries of the future is of great significance for developing new quality productive forces, building a modernized industrial system, improving the people's quality of life, and promoting people's well-rounded development and all-round social progress.

Then on Feb. 9, Xi came to Beijing's E-Town -- a hotbed for emerging and future industries -- where he visited a national information technology innovation park, once again turning his attention to representative sci-tech innovations.

The numbers speak for themselves: In 2025, the added value of China's high-tech manufacturing enterprises above the designated size increased by 9.4 percent from the previous year; the export value of high-tech products rose by 13.2 percent; and the output of service robots, memory chips and 3D printing equipment all saw double-digit growth. Emerging and future industries are making greater contribution to the country's economy, fundamentally reshaping its structure.

Under the leadership of Xi, China is navigating a clear course, backed by steadfast top-level design. The draft outline of the new five-year plan has put forward the goal of accelerating the development of strategic emerging industries, including next-generation information technology, new energy and new materials. It also aims to transform future industries such as quantum technology, biomanufacturing and brain-computer interfaces into fresh growth drivers for the economy.

Xi's vision for new quality productive forces gives equal weight to revitalizing traditional industries. His message is clear: Traditional industries will not be abandoned, but renewed.

During a 2025 visit to Yangquan Valve Co., Ltd., a century-old enterprise in north China's Shanxi Province, Xi pointed out that it is imperative to respond to market demand and enhance sci-tech innovation to breathe new life into traditional industries.

Engineers in the company have developed innovative products like hydrogen-pipeline ball valves, opening new markets while enhancing the company's core capabilities.

Its evolution exemplifies how old firms renew themselves: By focusing on innovation and boosting investment in research and development, the company has earned itself the designation of "little giant" -- a title for outstanding specialized, high-tech small and medium-sized enterprises.

"Transforming and upgrading traditional industries can also foster new quality productive forces," Xi once said. "Even established enterprises can achieve high-end, smart and green transformation."