A visitor accompanies his child to experience a simulated driving cabin at the opening of the 2026 World Manufacturing Convention at Hefei Binhu International Convention and Exhibition Center in Hefei, Anhui province, on Sunday. FANG DONGXU/FOR CHINA DAILY

　　China is putting artificial intelligence at the heart of its next manufacturing push, seeking to make factories smarter and critical supply chains more resilient, while keeping the world's largest manufacturing base plugged into global markets, officials, company executives and industry experts said on Sunday.

　　The message was delivered as the 2026 World Manufacturing Convention opened on Sunday in Hefei, Anhui province. It came just days after China's top leadership called for sustained efforts to expand and strengthen advanced manufacturing, and make the country's industrial chains more self-supporting and risk-resilient at a national advanced manufacturing conference in Beijing last week.

　　The timing of the two gatherings underscores a shift in the country's industrial priorities. Xin Guobin, vice-minister of industry and information technology, said at the Anhui convention that China will make a new generation of intelligent manufacturing a priority and push for the deeper integration of AI in manufacturing.

　　"China will cultivate smart factories, develop open-source foundation models and industry-specific AI models, strengthen domestic manufacturing software and hardware, and accelerate the low-carbon transformation of factories," Xin said.

　　That transition is particularly visible in Anhui. Liang Yanshun, Party secretary of Anhui, said that every minute, factories across the province produce about 190 home appliances, 50 laptop computers and four new energy vehicles.