China, in key document, vows to 'seize commanding heights' of frontier tech

BEIJING, March 5 (Reuters) - China vowed to "seize the commanding heights of science and technological development" in a new five-year economic and industrial blueprint released on Thursday which lays out its ambitions to dominate the emerging industries of the future.

The 141-page document also pledges to achieve "key breakthroughs in nuclear fusion technologies", develop a reusable heavy-load rocket, construct an integrated space-earth quantum communication network and develop scalable quantum computers, and demonstrate the feasibility of building a lunar research station.

The document also emphasised China's goal to become a world leader in frontier R&D by "accelerating breakthroughs in foundational theories and underlying technologies", as well as investing in basic research and cultivating a world-class STEM talent base.