Chinese Official Warns Against Blind Growth in New Battery Industry
A Chinese official has cautioned against uncontrolled expansion in the new battery sector, emphasizing the need to align production with demand. Yang Xudong stated that growth during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period (2026-2030) must be steady.
Yang Xudong, director of the Electronic Information Department at China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), has urged a measured approach to the development of the new battery industry. He specifically warned against "blindly rushing" into expansion, which could create unnecessary mismatches between supply and demand.
According to Yang, the new battery industry should maintain a steady growth trajectory during China's "15th Five-Year Plan" period, which runs from 2026 to 2030. This growth must be grounded in realistic capacity and development foundations to avoid creating surplus production.
New batteries are defined by MIIT as energy storage and conversion devices utilizing novel mechanisms, materials, structures, and processes. Representative technologies include lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries, characterized by rapid technological iteration and wide-ranging applications.
This guidance follows the joint release of a development plan for the new battery industry by seven Chinese ministries in September. The plan outlines goals for stable growth by 2030, enhanced innovation across the value chain, breakthroughs in advanced materials, and the initial mass production of solid-state batteries.