Trade-in, upgrade policies create sustained sales uptick
The State Taxation Administration said last week that policies around large-scale equipment upgrades and trade-ins for consumer goods over the past year have shown sustained positive effects.
From April last year to July this year, the purchase of machinery and equipment by enterprises nationwide increased by 7.3 percent compared to the same period a year prior. At the same time, the trade-in policy has invigorated both traditional and smart consumption sectors, with value-added tax invoice data indicating a 51.1 percent year-on-year increase in sales for the service robot manufacturing industry, and an 81.7 percent rise in sales of new energy vehicles nationwide.
The administration noted that this dynamic has fostered a virtuous economic cycle, characterized by the positive interaction of policy-driven demand and industrial upgrading, as evidenced by a 5.8 percent year-on-year increase in manufacturing sales revenue from April last year to July this year.
An official from the administration said that the tax authorities will continue implementing the policies to serve high-quality economic growth.
Funds for special education to improve inclusivity
The Ministry of Finance has significantly increased its support for special education schools to enhance inclusive development.
This year, 42.5 billion yuan ($5.9 billion) has been allocated to special schools, a 6.1 billion yuan increase from the previous year, representing a 16.8 percent rise, the ministry said on Aug 13.
During the spring semester, local governments supported the raising of the per-student public funding subsidy for special education schools and students with disabilities from 6,000 yuan to 7,000 yuan per year, benefiting approximately 910,000 students with disabilities, the ministry said. The central government also assisted with the funding.
The ministry has instructed provincial finance departments to guide city and county finance departments to allocate public funds in full and on time, strictly prohibiting delays, misappropriation, or the withholding of funds.
Development guidance released on BCI tech
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and six other departments have released a guideline on promoting the innovative development of the brain-computer interface industry, outlining ambitious targets to establish China as a global leader in the field by 2030.
Brain-computer interfaces create information channels between the brain and machines, representing a frontier technology in the integration of life and information sciences.
By 2027, China aims to achieve breakthroughs in core BCI technologies, build advanced technical, industrial and standard systems, and develop electrode, chip and whole-machine products matching international standards, according to the ministry.
By 2030, the sector is expected to form a secure and reliable industrial system, nurturing two to three world-leading enterprises and a number of specialized and innovative small and medium-sized enterprises, it said.
To achieve these goals, the guidance outlines five key tasks, such as developing high-performance products and accelerating technology applications, and three major projects covering core tech infrastructure, premium device development and application expansion.
