Scientists encouraged to further boost innovation

President Xi Jinping has called on China's scientists and researchers to seize opportunities for innovation, solve the problems hindering the nation's growth and expedite efforts to help the country attain a high level of self-reliance in science and technology.

Xi made the remark on Tuesday as he visited an exhibition in Beijing that celebrated China's notable achievements in science and technology during the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) period.

As China embarks on a new journey of building a modern socialist country in all respects, innovation in science and technology is vital to the nation's overall development landscape, said Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

He noted that growth in China's science and technology has been on the fast track between 2016 and 2020, with the nation's innovation capacity seeing a sharp increase and China securing a host of key outcomes in fundamental and cutting-edge science, strategic high technology and areas concerning public well-being.

He encouraged scientific workers to focus on the world's frontier research, the main sectors of the economy, the major demands of the nation and the health of people, and to shore up their confidence for using innovation and scaling new heights in science and technology.

They should take the initiative in shouldering their glorious historical missions and contribute greater strength to developing the nation into a global powerhouse in science and technology and achieving China's rejuvenation, he said.

The weeklong exhibition, which runs through Wednesday at the Beijing Exhibition Center, features 12 themed sections and over 1,300 exhibits, including quantum computers, China's Mars rover and deep-sea submersibles.

China's new-generation open innovation platform for artificial intelligence, the nation's largest shield tunneling machine for construction and models of China's space station and the world's first fourth-generation, high-temperature gas-cooled nuclear reactor were also highlighted at the exhibition.