What's 'new' about new quality productive forces?

During the just concluded Two Sessions, "new quality productive forces" has been a buzzword attracting global attention. Industry insiders and experts believe the rise of new quality productive forces and the optimization and adjustment of industrial structure will boost China's economy.

New tech breakthrough

The "new" in new quality productive forces represents the advancement and innovation of technology, Zhang Yi, a deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC) and president of the National Institute of Social Development at Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told China News Service.

New quality productive forces aim to improve the quality and efficiency of the country's economic development, said Zhou Yuan, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and founder of China's Q&A platform Zhihu.  

He said what's new in the catchphrase is the new trends and changes in the development of productive forces.

Zhu Keli, founding director of the China Institute of New Economy, said China is actively fostering emerging industries and "seed players" for future industries. Those industries represent the frontiers of science and technology, as well as the key areas of global competition in the future, he noted.

Meanwhile, traditional industries can also benefit from new quality productive forces. Injecting new quality productive forces into traditional industries and realizing the "transformation and upgrading of traditional industries with new technologies" will also open up new space for industrial development, Zhu said.

New talents

In order to achieve the development of high quality productive forces, industry insiders have pointed out the importance of nurturing more talents.

"The output of education is talent, and the output of talent is scientific and technological innovation," said Pan Jiaofeng, NPC deputy and president of the Institutes of Science and Development under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The science and technology innovation path should be coordinated with the paths of economic and social development, industrial development and education development, to promote the implementation of new quality productive forces, he added.

"Accelerating the formation of new quality productive forces not only need scientific and technological talent, but also a large number of high-quality technical personnel and skilled craftsmen," Zhou said.

Zhou urged efforts to build a diversified vocational skills training carrier to promote the development of new quality productive forces with the supply of high-quality skilled personnel.