Scientific endeavors must be creative and bold

Manned space flights and lunar probes, supercomputers and quantum communication - the list of achievements China has made in science and technology is long, and growing longer.

As well as being a source of national pride over the past four decades, these achievements are "steady steps forward" for the country as it strives to become an innovation-driven economy, as Wang Zhigang, minister of science and technology, described them on Monday.

At a news conference on the sidelines of the top legislature's annual session, Wang elaborated on the ambitious plan the country has mapped out to establish itself as a leading innovative country by 2035 and attain the goal of becoming a world science and innovation powerhouse by 2050.