New materials refer to recently developed or developing structural materials with excellent performance and functional materials with special properties.

According to the “Guidelines for the Development of the New Materials Industry”, new materials are mainly classified into three categories: advanced basic materials, key strategic materials, and cutting-edge new materials.

The “14th Five-Year Plan”provides clear instructions for the development of high-end new materials. It aims to achieve breakthroughs in advanced metals and inorganic non-metal materials such as high-end rare earth functional materials, high-quality special steel, high-performance alloys, high-temperature alloys, high-purity rare metal materials, high-performance ceramics, and electronic glass. Additionally, it emphasizes the research and application of high-performance fibers and their composites like carbon fiber and aramid fiber, as well as the development of bio-based and biomedical materials. The plan also stresses the key technological breakthroughs in high-performance resins such as metallocene polyethylene and electronic high-purity materials such as photoresists for integrated circuits.