Free China

NEWS + EDITORIAL | September 5, 2026 | P5-EVT-2026-0903-03

China has issued a five-year plan through 2030 to support small and medium-sized firms, including nationally recognized “little giants.” Reuters reports targets including about 22,000 national-level little giants, 600 SME industrial clusters, roughly 15% higher revenue per employee and annual R&D-spending growth above 8% among industrial SMEs.

The plan also calls for more financing channels, participation in national science and technology programs and support for strategic sectors including new energy, advanced materials, robotics, quantum technology, brain-computer interfaces and embodied AI. These are announced targets and instruments, not achieved outcomes.

Free China Editorial

Industrial policy should be evaluated by measurable productivity, competition, access to finance, job quality and whether support is distributed transparently rather than by political connection. Public reporting should distinguish grants, loans, procurement and tax support and compare supported firms with credible benchmarks. Innovation policy is strongest when private firms can compete under predictable rules and equal access to markets.

Reuters, Sept. 3, 2026