China's 2026–2030 Tech Plan Goes Beyond AI, Targeting Chips, Quantum, Fusion and Brain-Computer Interfaces

China has detailed its 2026–2030 technology strategy, and artificial intelligence is only one piece of a broader push for self-reliance. The plan places semiconductors, quantum technology, biotechnology, brain-computer interfaces and nuclear fusion alongside AI as priority areas that could shape the next phase of computing, industry and scientific research.

The strategy reflects Beijing's ongoing effort to reduce dependence on foreign technology, particularly in semiconductors, where US-led export controls have limited China's access to advanced chip-making equipment and designs. The plan calls for expanding domestic capacity across the value chain, from materials and fabrication to design and packaging.

A September 2026 report from the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS) noted that China's economic and technology policies are increasingly aimed at building resilience against external shocks and securing strategic value chains. The think tank identified self-reliance in innovation, protection of the manufacturing base and greater control over strategic supplies as key priorities — making technologies like semiconductors and rare-earth processing strategically important beyond their commercial value.

The scope of the plan is ambitious but faces practical constraints. Achieving breakthroughs in fusion energy and scalable quantum computing within a five-year window would be unprecedented. The semiconductor goals, while more incremental, still require overcoming significant technical gaps in lithography and advanced packaging. What the plan does signal clearly is that Beijing views technological capability as inseparable from national security and intends to invest accordingly.