In mid-May, Chinese tech giant Huawei launched its first foldable laptop powered by a self-developed operating system. A month earlier, Insta360's panoramic cameras had drawn long lines of American consumers. At the beginning of the year, DeepSeek AI was regarded as a "Sputnik moment," while for several years, TikTok and Temu have been favourite apps worldwide.

　　Many in China were amazed when the iPhone first emerged, recognizing the gap between "Made in China" and "American innovation." Compared to this, it seems China's technological perspective has undergone a crucial transformation unintentionally after years of development.

　　Now, it is Chinese products that inspire pride at home and win recognition abroad. China has pivoted from learning from others to actively collaborating and co-creating in the global innovation ecosystem — writing its own chapter in the story of global tech leadership.

　　Behind China's technological rise lies a continuously growing talent pool and systematic policy support. Relevant data shows that the total number of tech engineers in China increased from 5.21 million in 2000 to 17.653 million in 2020. NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang recently said that 50 percent of the world's AI researchers are from China. This is the largest single group by far, with no close second.

　　China has established a stable environment for technological innovation through robust intellectual property protection, flexible industrial support mechanisms, and sustained investment in basic research.

　　According to the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2024, China topped the list for the number of leading science and technology clusters for the second year in a row. In 2024, China's total R&D expenditure exceeded 3.6 trillion RMB. This figure represents an 8.3 percent increase from the previous year, which kept China in second place globally. In addition, China also rose to the 11th place in the overall GII rankings.

　　The enhancement of public well-being driven by technology is also a key factor for China's continuous innovation. Take 5G technology as an example: China has achieved remarkable speed and scale in building its 5G network. By the end of 2024, the country had 4.25 million 5G base stations, accounting for 33.6 percent of all mobile phone base stations, with over 200 million gigabit broadband users. Even on the high-altitude Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, 4,500 meters above sea level, 5G towers stand tall, providing strong signal coverage.

　　The global influence of China's tech industry is increasingly evident through its export of both products and industry standards. Domestic new energy vehicles, leveraging advantages in range, intelligence and cost, are gaining ground in international markets, while industrial robots and other technologies are winning overseas customers with their cost-effectiveness and technical compatibility.

　　As the world's perception of China moves from pandas and the Great Wall to high-speed rail networks and smart cities — and now to cultural IPs like Black Myth: Wukong and Ne Zha 2 —China's innovative achievements are becoming new benchmarks for global recognition.

　　While breaking technological barriers, China has committed to collaboration and shared development. From deep participation in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project to leading the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope construction, China is integrating into global megascience projects with an open and cooperative mindset.

　　Facing global challenges like climate change and energy transition, China's initiatives — such as the "dual carbon" goals, AI governance frameworks, and the "Green Great Wall" — provide solutions for the world.

　　Whether through exporting technology, shaping global standards, making breakthroughs in specialized fields, or driving broad systemic change, China is using innovation as a bridge to foster an open, inclusive and universally beneficial global tech ecosystem.