Build sci-tech powerhouse, says Xi

China should also build an open innovation ecosystem and take part in the global governance of science and technology as it is a shared treasure of mankind, Xi said.

Therefore, China's scientific community should enhance joint research with international peers, deepen its participation in global governance, and allow science and technology to better serve the prosperity of humanity, he added.

Meanwhile, China will need to tap into the innovative potential of various talents, Xi said. To achieve this, the nation will attach greater emphasis to cultivating high-end talents and innovative research teams, while granting research institutions and scientists more autonomy, thus freeing them from unnecessary paperwork, appraisals and other distractions.

Moreover, China will optimize its policies to attract high-end foreign talents to work or have exchanges with peers in China. Xi called on the nation's scientific community to set its sights on the future and the world, and enhance its openness, trust and cooperation with international peers.

On Friday afternoon, Premier Li Keqiang addressed the three groups of scientists, saying that Chinese scientists have made great contributions to the nation's fight against COVID-19 and its economic recovery.

Li called on scientists to enhance basic research, carry out reforms to reduce the burdens on researchers, facilitate a healthy academic environment, and allow scientific and technological innovations to play a bigger role in supporting the nation's socioeconomic development.

You Zheng, vice-president of Tsinghua University and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said he had heeded Xi's call to enhance basic research and produce more original and leading breakthroughs.

You said Xi praised China's higher education when he visited Tsinghua University in April and said, "We need to have confidence in our education system, we can cultivate grandmaster-level talents".

You said: "We will double our efforts in nurturing innovative talents that the nation needs, and make our contribution in enhancing self-reliance and our strength in science and technology, as well as China's transformation into a global leader in science and technology."

Ma Xingfa, vice-president of the Shanghai Association for Science and Technology, said the China Association for Science and Technology and its subsidiaries are key channels for international exchanges.

"We will enhance dialogue and cooperation with international science organizations, universities, high-tech parks and companies," he said. "This will create platforms for close and long-term cooperation."