Chinese Premier Li Qiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, is briefed on R&D related to AI software and chips during a visit to an AI company in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, July 2, 2024. Li made a research trip to the city of Suzhou from Tuesday to Wednesday. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

Chinese Premier Li Qiang has urged efforts to promote the digital transformation of the manufacturing sector and boost the development of enterprises that use specialized, sophisticated technologies to produce unique and novel products, aiming to modernize the industrial system.

Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a research trip to the city of Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, that began on Tuesday and concluded on Wednesday.

As part of his trip, Li visited production workshops operated by an industrial automation solutions provider in Suzhou, where he learned about the company's R&D related to industrial robot components and other products.

Highlighting the need for more advanced, more intelligent and greener development in the manufacturing sector, Li called for efforts to encourage enterprises to integrate into national strategies and gain development opportunities through sci-tech innovation.

During a visit to an AI company, Li was briefed on its R&D related to AI software and chips, learned about its solutions for the auto and home appliances sectors, and experienced large language model (LLM) technologies first-hand.

The rapid rise of LLMs has brought transformative change to R&D and manufacturing methods, he said, urging efforts to leverage China's advantages in market size, diverse demand and rich application scenarios to promote the deep integration of AI and the real economy.

The premier also presided over a symposium during the research trip, where he noted that the digital transformation of the manufacturing industry is a key task to boost China's strength in manufacturing. He called for work to harness the power of AI, as well as efforts to accelerate core technology breakthroughs and the construction of digital infrastructure.

"Little giant" firms -- novel elites among China's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are engaged in manufacturing, specialize in a niche market and boast cutting-edge technologies -- play a key role in facilitating the digital transformation of the manufacturing sector, and in nurturing new, quality productive forces, he said.

Li encouraged these firms to strengthen their innovation and develop a global perspective for further development.

Governments at all levels should increase policy support and create a favorable environment to enable more SMEs to stand out from the crowd, he said.