Xi calls for advancing sci-tech innovation

President Xi Jinping called on Wednesday for accelerated efforts to achieve high-level self-reliance and strength in science and technology, saying that China must press ahead toward the goal of becoming a leading country in science and technology by 2035 and ensure that sci-tech innovation provides solid support for and guidance to Chinese modernization.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while addressing a meeting in Beijing.

The meeting brought together the national science and technology award conference, the general assemblies of members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and the 11th national congress of the China Association for Science and Technology.

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC in 2012, China has made historic achievements and undergone historic changes in science and technology, Xi said, adding that the country is accelerating its shift from a participant and contributor in global sci-tech development toward a pioneer and leader in innovation, with a rise in innovation capacity that is among the fastest in the world.

Xi stressed that a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation is profoundly reshaping not only the way people live and work, but also the global development landscape.

China must adapt to the new circumstances and requirements, take more forceful measures to effectively address problems in its sci-tech development, and fully implement the CPC Central Committee's plans and arrangements for sci-tech work, he said.