China has entered the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30) with a clear focus on high-quality development. At a State Council Information Office news conference on April 17, National Development and Reform Commission Deputy Director Wang Changlin identified one initiative as particularly transformative — the deep implementation of the Artificial Intelligence Plus (AI Plus) action to foster new forms of intelligent economy.
This is not merely another technology program. It represents a fundamental shift — elevating AI from a specialized tool to the central engine for reshaping the entire economic structure. By embedding AI across all sectors, China aims to drive systemic upgrading rather than isolated breakthroughs.
The “Plus” in AI Plus carries profound significance. Building on the earlier “Internet Plus” strategy, it goes further — seeking to permeate and reinvent every industry, from intelligent manufacturing and precision agriculture to service sector optimization. Wang stressed the need for deep integration between scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation, noting that even traditional industries can become new sources of growth through upgrading.
At a deeper level, AI Plus redefines the relationship between humans and machines. The true revolution lies not in automation — replacing human labor with algorithms — but in human-AI co-creation — treating artificial intelligence as a partner that amplifies human wisdom. When AI handles pattern recognition at scale and humans contribute creativity, ethical judgment, and cross-cultural insight, the resulting value far exceeds what either could produce alone. This is the pathway from being a superconnector to becoming a super value-adder.
This approach directly addresses a key global challenge identified in PwC’s 2026 AI Jobs Barometer. A survey of 1,217 senior executives across 25 industries found that 74 percent of AI-generated economic value is captured by just 20 percent of leading organizations, with most companies still confined to pilot projects.
What distinguishes front-runners is that they treat AI not simply as a productivity enhancer but as a catalyst for business model reinvention. These leaders are two to three times more likely to identify cross-industry integration opportunities and 2.6 times more likely to reshape their commercial models. Cross-industry integration emerges as the single strongest driver of AI-driven financial performance — surpassing pure efficiency gains.
The true power of AI Plus lies in its multiplier effect — when AI deeply integrates with every sector of the economy, the resulting value will far exceed the sum of the individual parts
The root cause of this concentration is cultural, not merely technological. Too many organizations still deploy AI primarily for cost reduction, viewing it as a tool to cut headcount rather than an engine for growth. Bridging this gap requires a fundamental shift: from “AI replaces people” to “AI empowers people”. Without deliberate intervention, AI risks widening industrial divides rather than narrowing them. China’s AI Plus strategy is designed precisely to prevent a winner-takes-all outcome, positioning AI as shared public infrastructure so that small and medium-sized enterprises and traditional sectors can also harness its benefits.
This vision rests on solid foundations. Stanford HAI’s 2026 AI Index Report shows that top AI models from China and the United States have repeatedly traded the lead since early 2025. As of March, the strongest US model holds only a narrow 2.7 percent advantage. China has already taken the lead in AI research paper volume, citations, total patent filings, and industrial robot installations — tangible proof of AI’s transition from laboratories to real-world production lines.
For Hong Kong, the national AI Plus strategy opens significant opportunities as the city prepares its own first five-year plan. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has underscored that the national plan provides strong backing for Hong Kong’s ambition to become an international innovation and technology center. The city’s strengths in fundamental research, rule of law, and professional services position it well to support AI’s translation into scalable industrial applications. Hong Kong can also serve as a trusted data hub, leveraging its free-data-flow environment and common law protections to facilitate secure cross-border data exchange between mainland AI ecosystems and international research networks.
Hong Kong can contribute meaningfully in three strategic areas. The first is AI governance. The Hong Kong Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Institute, whose board was formed in March, is tasked with advising on governance frameworks and regulatory approaches. As global foundation model transparency has declined — Stanford HAI’s index fell from 58 to 40 points — Hong Kong is well-placed to develop credible, internationally respected standards bridging different regulatory philosophies. Safety is not the antithesis of innovation; it is innovation’s infrastructure.
The second is sovereign AI capabilities. The Hong Kong Generative AI Research and Development Center, led by Professor Guo Yike, is developing local sovereign models tailored to Hong Kong’s data security, linguistic, and cultural context — conceived as core urban infrastructure that enhances autonomy while contributing to national and global AI progress.
The third is talent ecosystem development. Stanford HAI’s report highlights an 89 percent decline in AI talent flows toward the United States since 2017, while employment among software developers aged 22 to 25 in the US has dropped nearly 20 percent from its late-2022 peak. Hong Kong, uniquely positioned between the Chinese mainland and the world, can attract top-tier talent while preparing local workforces for AI-driven transformation. The next generation must learn not merely to operate AI tools, but to collaborate with AI as creative partners.
The operational logic is clear: Governance standards and research developed in Hong Kong, commercialization and scaling across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and market access extended worldwide. The true power of AI Plus lies in its multiplier effect — when AI deeply integrates with every sector of the economy, the resulting value will far exceed the sum of the individual parts. By aligning closely with national priorities and contributing governance expertise, sovereign technologies, and talent pathways, Hong Kong can help ensure that the intelligent economy of the future is both innovative and inclusive.
The author is the founding chairman of the Hong Kong Innovative Technology Development Association.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
