China’s Xi prioritises ‘AI-plus’ and consumer spending to counter economic headwinds

President Xi Jinping has deemed the acceleration of consumption and innovation, particularly in artificial intelligence, an essential task as the world’s second-largest economy seeks to overcome challenges in 2026. The president’s priorities, officially laid out before the year began, were revealed to the public in a speech excerpt published on Monday by the ruling Communist Party’s leading theoretical journal. Xi emphasised the need to boost domestic demand, giving it the lion’s share of...

By Frank Chen