BEIJING - China hopes to make breakthroughs in generic technology for equipment manufacturing, a prioritized sector in the plan to become a world manufacturing power.

China will strive to improve its design of major equipment and master techniques for making key components, Ma Kai, vice premier and head of a new leading work group, said Thursday during the group's first plenary meeting.

Ma regards the equipment sector as the first step in the country's journey to become a manufacturing power.

The country should accelerate the production of smart equipment and encourage those products to go global, Ma added.

The leading group is responsible for implementing China's "Made in China 2025" plan, which was released in May and aims to enhance manufacturing prowess and change the reputation of "Made in China" goods.