China’s leaders vow to become self-reliant technology power

BEIJING: China’s leaders are vowing to make their country a self-reliant “technology power” as a feud with Washington cuts access to US computer chips and other high-tech components, hampering Beijing’s industrial ambitions.

Leaders of the ruling Communist Party made the announcement on Thursday after a meeting to draft a development blueprint for the state-dominated economy over the next five years.

President Xi Jinping’s government is trying to limit damage from the Trump administration’s curbs on technology sales to China in a fight over security and spying. Those threaten to disrupt plans to create Chinese companies able to compete in telecoms, biotech and other fields, which communist leaders see as a path to prosperity and global influence.