BEIJING (AP) — China’s ruling Communist Party has called for faster technology development to increase the country’s economic independence amid tension with Washington that has disrupted access to computer chips and other high-tech components. In a statement following a meeting to set economic priorities for the coming year, party leaders said China also needs to improve control over its industrial supply chains and increase consumer demand to support self-sustaining economic growth. President Xi Jinping’s government is showing increasing urgency about developing Chinese competitors in electric cars, telecoms, biotech and other fields as a path to prosperity and global influence. The ruling party wants to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers, which it sees as a strategic weakness.
China’s leaders say tech growth top priority amid US tension
