BEIJING -- From artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted diagnosis to smart health platforms, China is intensifying efforts to embed AI across its evolving digital healthcare ecosystem, seeking to further boost efficiency and broaden access to quality medical services.

The outline of the country's 15th Five-Year Plan, adopted on Thursday at the national legislative session, emphasizes the need to obtain the leading strategic position in AI industry applications from 2026 to 2030.

This year's government work report also vows to "advance and expand the AI Plus Initiative," and "encourage large-scale commercial application of AI in key sectors and fields," while recognizing biomedicine as an emerging pillar industry, among others.

As part of the broader "Healthy China Initiative," the digital and smart drive of healthcare is expected to facilitate in-depth health data analysis, support clinical decisions and improve access to medical care, according to experts.

"Digital technologies are a key lever for reshaping healthcare delivery and narrowing the urban-rural gap in medical resources," said Ge Minghua, a national lawmaker and director of Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital.

In recent years, China has made significant achievements in public health, with the average life expectancy reaching 79 years in 2024 and the basic medical insurance coverage remaining above 95 percent. The full-life-cycle health service chain, from disease prevention to treatment, rehabilitation and long-term care, is continuously extending.

Concurrently, AI has made solid strides in China's healthcare sector -- as of May 1, 2025, the country had released approximately 300 medical large models, and county-level remote medical imaging services handled more than 68 million cases, making AI an increasingly important tool for grassroots healthcare.

Medical large models and health AI applications -- exemplified by Ant Group's "Ant Afu" -- have rapidly proliferated, reflecting strong public demand for professional, convenient health services.

Harnessing AI applications can improve out-of-hospital healthcare delivery and boost public health, said Huo Yong, a national political advisor and chief cardiology expert at Peking University First Hospital.

Experts believe that deep integration of AI and healthcare services will also provide a key engine and focal point for developing new high-quality productive forces in the health sector.

Zhu Tongyu, a national political advisor and vice president of Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, noted that the use of portable AI-powered diagnostic devices allows doctors to monitor the health of patients in local communities or even in distant locations.

Such technologies help promote tiered healthcare services and optimize the distribution of medical resources, Zhu added.

Interest in smart health products is already on the rise. Digital health management devices such as smart body-fat scales are becoming popular among younger consumers, while home rehabilitation exoskeletons assist paralyzed seniors in independent walking.

Behind such expansion is China's fast-developing AI sector. By 2025, the country's AI core industry had reached more than 1.2 trillion yuan (about 174 billion U.S. dollars), and the integration of big data, AI, the Internet of Things, and 5G with healthcare services is expected to drive growth across the entire medical industry chain.

Ding Lieming, a national political advisor and a member of the Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party, said that the intelligent transformation of R&D paradigms is accelerating the translation of scientific and technological achievements into practical applications.

"For the biopharmaceutical industry, which has long development cycles and high risks, AI can shorten R&D timelines and costs, and improve quality and efficiency," Ding said.

Yet, Huo Yong noted that challenges persist at various levels, including technology, policy, and practical scenarios. He suggested breaking down isolated models and "data silos" through national-level data interoperability, while also exploring a tiered governance system for healthcare large models.

He further emphasized strengthening out-of-hospital health services, focusing on high-demand areas such as patient consultation, report interpretation, and personalized health management plans to fully realize the application value of AI.

Epidemiologist Zhang Wenhong, a national political advisor, told media that the entry of AI into healthcare should complement, not replace, human work. "We cannot neglect investment in people and infrastructure. AI should empower medical professionals rather than substitute them," he said.