China's Intelligent Development: Key Policy Drivers and Milestones

The trend graph presented in the preceding section reveals the noteworthy growth of China's intelligent development in 2013 and 2016, which may have been attributable to proactive policies. Two pivotal milestones in the progression of AI in China can be identified. Firstly, in late December 2013, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued the 'Guidance on Promoting the Development of Industrial Robot Industry', with the explicit objective of facilitating the extensive adoption of industrial robots in crucial areas of industrial manufacturing. Secondly, in May 2015, the Chinese government initiated the acceleration of the implementation of the 'Made in China 2025' plan, which aimed to expedite the intelligent transformation of production equipment.