Chinese President Xi Jinping, additionally common secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attends a gathering bringing collectively the nationwide science and expertise award convention, the overall assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), and the eleventh nationwide congress of the China Association for Science and Technology on the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, July 8, 2026. Xi delivered an essential speech on the assembly right here on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Shen Hong)
BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday known as for accelerated efforts to attain high-level self-reliance and energy in science and expertise, and leverage sci-tech innovation to underpin and drive Chinese modernization.
Xi, additionally common secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at a gathering in Beijing that introduced collectively the nationwide science and expertise award convention, the overall assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), and the eleventh nationwide congress of the China Association for Science and Technology.
He stated the fifteenth Five-Year Plan interval (2026-2030) is a important part for tackling robust challenges in increase the nation’s energy in science and expertise.
“We must seize the historic opportunity, rise to the challenges of the times, accelerate efforts to achieve high-level self-reliance and strength in science and technology, and make steady progress toward the 2035 goal of becoming a leading country in science and technology,” he stated.
At the assembly, Xi offered China’s high sci-tech award for the yr 2025 to Chen Liquan, a researcher on the Institute of Physics underneath the CAS and a CAE academician, and Ben De, a researcher on the China Electronics Technology Group Corporation and in addition a CAE academician. After presenting the medals and certificates to the 2 scientists, Xi shook palms with them and prolonged his congratulations.
Xi and different Party and state leaders, along with the 2 top-award winners, offered certificates to representatives of recipients of different awards.
Li Qiang presided over the assembly. Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi and Li Xi attended the assembly. Ding Xuexiang introduced the award choice.
Xi famous that China is now accelerating its transition from a world participant and contributor in science and expertise to a pioneer and chief, and has turn out to be one of many international locations with the quickest rising innovation capability.
Over the previous two years, China has achieved a string of outstanding sci-tech breakthroughs, together with Chang’e-6 finishing humanity’s first-ever pattern return from the moon’s far facet, sensible robots and drones making strides in each R&D and industrial utility, revolutionary medication leaping from imitation and follow-on analysis to world-first growth, in addition to domestically-bred crop varieties overlaying over 95 p.c of the nation’s farmland.
But Xi additionally identified that China nonetheless faces gaps in unique innovation capability, an imbalanced expertise construction, and inefficient use of science and expertise funding, which demand severe consideration and backbone.
He careworn that the brand new spherical of sci-tech revolution and industrial transformation is profoundly altering the best way humanity produces and lives, in addition to the panorama of worldwide growth.
“We must adapt to the new situation and requirements, take more forceful measures to address the problems existing in China’s sci-tech development, and make every effort to ensure the implementation of the various arrangements made by the Party Central Committee on sci-tech undertakings,” he stated.
Xi known as for additional strengthening of coordination in sci-tech strategic planning, insurance policies and measures, main duties, analysis energy, useful resource platforms, and regional innovation. “We should improve the mechanisms for deploying and organizing major national sci-tech innovation tasks, and strengthen the self-sufficiency for sci-tech infrastructure,” he stated.
Major initiatives must be deliberate holistically throughout frontier fields like AI, quantum tech and life sciences, in precedence sectors corresponding to built-in circuits and superior manufacturing, in addition to in strategic domains, together with deep sea, deep area, and deep earth, he famous.
Xi emphasised the necessity to promote the deep integration of sci-tech innovation with industrial innovation, opening up channels for accelerating the transformation of sci-tech achievements into actual productive forces.
“Sci-tech innovation should highlight an application-oriented approach, while industrial innovation should raise scientific questions. We must strengthen the national technology transfer system, create diversified application scenarios and high-level industrial clusters, and facilitate the promotion, application and iterative upgrading of self-developed technologies and products,” he stated.
Xi additionally known as for enhancing the mental property safety system and constructing a monetary system suitable with sci-tech innovation.
When talking of cultivating younger sci-tech abilities, Xi identified that analysis must be built-in with training, and better assist must be supplied to researchers to assist them overcome sensible challenges.
Efforts must be made to determine and nurture the youngsters’ pursuits, specialties, scientific literacy and experimental abilities, inspiring extra promising youth to pursue careers in science and expertise, he stated.
Xi careworn the necessity to increase the effectiveness of innovation funding. During the 14th Five-Year Plan interval (2021-2025), China’s complete R&D spending grew by a mean of 10 p.c yearly, which was no small feat.
“Yet in practice, problems such as wasteful spending and inefficient duplication in investment still persist to varying degrees,” he famous, calling for enhancing programs and administration to make sure that each penny will not be solely spent proper however spent properly to match better funding with better effectivity.
He stated that enterprises must be inspired to extend their R&D spending, and broader social assets must be mobilized to assist sci-tech innovation.
Xi identified that it’s essential to deepen reforms on sci-tech analysis, making it an excellent “conductor’s baton.” Project opinions, institutional assessments, and expertise evaluations ought to all be guided by innovation functionality, high quality, precise impact, and contribution.
He careworn the necessity to strengthen governance of sci-tech ethics and safety. “Science and technology should pursue positive and ethical progress, maintain security and controllability, and deliver benefits to the people,” he stated.
Ethical requirements and pointers for key areas must be clarified, and the evaluation, monitoring and early warning, in addition to emergency response of sci-tech safety dangers, must be enhanced, he added.
Xi urged the CAS and the CAE to rally the nation’s scientific neighborhood to maintain abreast of the brand new sci-tech revolution and scale new heights in world science, whereas requiring the China Association for Science and Technology to go all out to serve researchers, innovation-driven growth, public scientific literacy enhancement and sound policymaking by the Party and authorities.
Li Qiang identified that Xi’s essential speech absolutely affirmed the nation’s main scientific achievements in recent times, analyzed the brand new scenario going through sci-tech growth and laid out clear necessities for implementing the Party Central Committee’s plans for sci-tech growth through the fifteenth Five-Year Plan interval.
Wednesday’s assembly honored 258 initiatives and 11 scientific and technological consultants. Among them, 51 initiatives obtained the State Natural Science Award, 58 initiatives the State Technological Invention Award, and 149 initiatives the State Scientific and Technological Progress Award.
In addition to the 2 recipients of the highest award, 9 overseas consultants have been conferred the China International Science and Technology Cooperation Award.
A gathering bringing collectively the nationwide science and expertise award convention, the overall assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), and the eleventh nationwide congress of the China Association for Science and Technology is held on the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, July 8, 2026. Xi Jinping and different leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state together with Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi attended the assembly right here on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)