CGTN Poll: Respondents highly commend China's technological innovation

The Zhongguancun Forum in Beijing is a national-level platform dedicated to international exchanges and cooperation on scientific and technological innovation. A survey conducted by CGTN among netizens worldwide shows that as high as 90.4% of respondents believe that technology competition centered on innovation will become the focal point of competition for comprehensive national strength.

Since its inception in 2007, the Zhongguancun Forum has taken "Innovation and Development" as its permanent theme. The survey shows that 84.6% of respondents believe the Zhongguancun Forum serves as a platform for exchanges and cooperation among global scientists, entrepreneurs and investors. 89.4% of respondents consider the Zhongguancun Forum not only a platform to showcase China's scientific and technological innovation achievements, but also an important window for China to deeply engage in global science and technology governance.

From artificial intelligence (AI) large models, embodied intelligence to quantum technology, biomedicine, and even 6G and brain-computer interfaces, the Zhongguancun Forum closely follows the frontier fields of new quality productive forces, with AI taking an undisputed leading role. When evaluating AI's impact on productivity enhancement, 71.4% of respondents give a positive assessment, believing that AI has become a key factor in reshaping industrial landscapes and improving production efficiency. 74.7% of respondents believe that a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, driven by AI as the core engine, has already fully begun. Moreover, the wave of AI technology is no longer confined to the realm of virtual computing power. 81.7% of respondents state that the application scenarios of AI are becoming increasingly abundant, making it an important driving force for lifestyle changes. 65.6% of respondents believe that with the intensifying global trend of population aging, AI will become a crucial option for filling labor shortages.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China's gross domestic expenditure on R&D accounted for 2.8% of national GDP. In the next five years, the country's R&D investment is expected to grow at an average annual rate of over 7%. According to the survey, as high as 92.8% of respondents believe that China can effectively pool resources to tackle technological challenges in key areas, highlighting China's institutional strength. 84.1% of respondents say that China's large population and mega-scale market will create favorable conditions for the application of innovation achievements. Additionally, 90.6% of respondents point out that driving high-quality development through technological innovation will be crucial for China's economic transition from focusing on quantity to prioritizing quality. As the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation continues to deepen, humanity needs international cooperation, openness and sharing to address common development challenges more than ever before. In the survey, 84.9% of respondents believe that China's commitment to openness, cooperation, mutual benefit and win-win outcomes in technological innovation will create more opportunities for the international community.

The CGTN poll – published in English, Spanish, French, Arabic and Russian – received responses from 8,723 people within 24 hours.