Beijing stopped talking publicly about its “Made in China 2025” plan for technological dominance once the initiative became a sticking point in a costly trade war with the U.S.

But President Xi Jinping’s government has by no means abandoned the goal, the top U.S. trade negotiator says. Growth targets including the ability to supply 80 percent of electric-vehicle demand remain in place, and in January, China became the first country to land a probe on the far side of the moon.