Chinese companies are doubling down on innovation as part of efforts to contribute to the national drive of developing "new quality productive forces", with leaders convening in Beijing for the annual Two Sessions meetings.

Speaking at a press event in the capital, Lei Jun, the chairman of Xiaomi, which was originally a smartphone maker but has entered the electric vehicle (EV) space, said technological innovation aided his firm's meteoric rise in recent years.

Investment in technological innovation reached 105 billion yuan over the past five years, which helped Xiaomi to become the world's third largest smartphone maker, selling some 170 million mobile phones last year, Lei said.

Sales of its internet-based smart home devices, meanwhile, also fared well, with some 900 million such items being sold, demonstrating the popularity of Chinese tech products around the world.

Lei, who is a deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC), said Xiaomi would continue to invest in technological research and innovation.

"Manufacturing is the foundation of China and the foundation of a strong country. Xiaomi, as a builder and beneficiary of the manufacturing industry, will continue to adhere to the path of striving for scientific and technological innovation as well as high-end development, ramp up the cultivation of new quality productive forces, apply the latest artificial intelligence technology to all our terminals, to let all consumers experience the wonderful life brought by technologies, and at the same time, contribute our efforts to the development of the Chinese-style modernisation," he said.

He also expressed confidence in the country's private sector, after attending a high-profile meeting with President Xi Jinping last month which indicated stronger support from Beijing.

Echoing Lei, Zhou Yunjie, chairman of Chinese home appliances firm Haier, who is also an NPC deputy, said that technology helped boost the company's global ambitions.

"Scientific and technological innovation is a key factor for a brand whether it could stand strong in the world. If an enterprise aims to go global, it has to stick to technological innovation as its solid base, to keep on innovating - until it reaches the top, so that the brand could truly be a top leader. Haier has also been adhering to such a principle, we kept looking up to international standards until we reached breakthroughs," he said.

Zhou added that artificial intelligence was a new opportunity for China and that more Chinese firms would be able to create internationally recognised brands.