China sets to build Shanghai's Pudong New Area into a powerhouse of national technology innovation as China's central authorities on Thursday issued a guideline to allow more freedom and policy for the area to accelerate growth.

The Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) pledged to support the development of Zhangjiang National Innovation Demonstration Zone into a leading innovation hub in the area. The country will enhance its innovation capability of key industries such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), biopharmaceuticals and aviation, speeding up the buildup of national laboratories, innovation centers, technology research centers and clinical medical research centers, said Xu Jing, head of the department of strategic planning at the MOST, at a press conference on Tuesday.

The guideline also plans to offer more platforms for international exchanges on brain science and attracting talent for collaboration.

He said the government will also expand its support to the tech companies in the Yangtze River Delta region to make breakthroughs in key technologies, manufacture high-end products and set up China's own standards.

Xu also pledged support "to boost the original innovation drive and develop AI applications and industries empowered by AI" in the Pudong New Area, saying that it will become a testing ground with favorable policies where talents are given more liberty to conduct innovative research.

Ten large-scale scientific infrastructures are already in the Pudong New Area along with 249 foreign-funded research and development (R&D) centers and 717 enterprise R&D centers, according to Weng Zuliang, standing committee member of the Communist Party of China's Shanghai municipal committee and Pudong New Area's Party chief.

Weng said Pudong has already shown its advantages in spearheading innovation, as the district has developed a full-cycle incubator ecosystem, public service for science development, an intellectual property protection system and various funding for tech innovation.