Power of innovation

Both President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao delivered speeches at the National Science and Technology Innovation Conference, held in Beijing on Friday and Saturday. This points to the importance the government attaches to scientific innovation.

What is particularly noteworthy is that both admitted that the country's overall scientific innovation capability still leaves a lot to be desired.

President Hu emphasized the need to lift the country's innovation capability and called for a stronger sense of anxiety and responsibility in order to seize the opportunities. He called for authorities at all levels to increase investment so that spending on scientific and technological research rises from 1.83 percent of GDP in 2011 to more than 2.5 percent in 2020.