"Staying in Dialogue with China" - Recording of "Understanding China's evolving approach and priorities in industrial policymaking in the quest of a "modern industrial system"
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August 2026 | On 28th August 2026, we successfully hosted the first "Staying in Dialogue with China" webinar of the 5th edition focusing on understanding China's evolving approach and priorities in industrial policymaking in the quest of a "modern industrial system" (现代化产业体系). It was our great pleasure to welcome Ms. Zhang Xiaoyan (张小燕), Vice President of the China Center for Information Industry Development (CCID), a leading governmental think tank affiliated with the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).
The dialogue was structured as follows:
Speaker's vantage point
Industrial policymaking basics
Industrial policy goals & priorities
Top-level mechanisms and effectiveness
Synthesis and implications for FIEs
Closing
Some key Chinese-English terms referenced during the dialogue:
Sector (行业), industry (产业), economy (经济)
S&T (科技) vs. industrial (产业) policymaking
“Seize the commanding heights of S&T development” (抢占科技发展制高点)
“Traditional” (传统), “emerging” (新型), “future” (未来) industries
“Coordinate development and security” (统筹发展和安全)
“New system for nationwide mobilization of resources” (新型举国体制)
Integration of “Industry-university-research” (产学研)
“Adapting to local conditions” (因地制宜)
Last but not least, you can also listen to this webinar on our newly launched Spotify channel. Follow CMG’s China Dialogues – Policy, Business & Strategy on Spotify to stay updated on our latest dialogues.
Ms. Zhang Xiaoyan holds a Master's degree from the School of Translation and Interpretation, Beijing Foreign Studies University. She previously served as Director of the International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) of China, responsible for bilateral and regional industrial cooperation between China and ASEAN, Europe, the US, etc.
Ms. Zhang is currently the Vice President of China Center for Information Industry Development (CCID / 中国电子信息产业发展研究院), a leading governmental think tank affiliated (事业单位) to the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). Her major focuses include industrial economics, industrial technological innovation, SMEs, and international cooperation. She serves as the lead expert for multiple national and international programmes, including the Internationalization of China's Manufacturing Industry, Digital Transformation of SMEs, and the Network of the Partnership on New Industrial Revolution under the Framework of the Global Development Initiative (GDI-PartNIR Network). She is also the Editor-in-Chief of the annual Blue Paper on the Development of SMEs in China.
Ms. Zhang was invited to speak at international forums including the Multilateral Industrial Policy Forum (MIPF) hosted by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in 2023 and 2024, the WTO Dialogue on Industrial Policy in 2025 and the 62nd Munich Security Conference (MSC) in 2026.