“No scientists in any other country enjoy the same level of treatment and attention as those in China,” stated Chinese condensed matter physicist Xue Qikun, who acquired the nation”s prime sci-tech award from President Xi Jinping two years in the past.
At a grand gathering in June 2024, Xi, additionally basic secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, shook arms with Xue warmly, prolonged his congratulations, draped the medal round Xue’s neck, handed him the award certificates, and invited him to sit down on the podium.
“General Secretary Xi emphasized the need to vigorously carry forward the spirit of scientists, encouraging researchers to aim high, dedicate themselves to the country and unswervingly focus on innovation. His words strengthened my resolve and confidence to devote my entire life to advancing China’s quantum science and technology,” Xue stated.
Xi’s respect and take care of China’s sci-tech staff replicate his perception that expertise constitutes the elemental wellspring of a nation’s capability for sci-tech innovation.
At a symposium on advancing primary analysis held in Shanghai this April, Xi urged efforts to “enhance the working and living conditions of basic research personnel, and foster an open, inclusive and failure-tolerant innovation environment.”
The prime chief’s profound grasp of legal guidelines governing scientific and technological growth has additionally left a deep impression on researchers and served as a strong supply of inspiration for them.
At a symposium attended by scientists in September 2020, Fu Qiaomei, a researcher on the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, introduced up a query to Xi that she had usually been requested through the years — “what are the real-world applications of your work?”
Chairing the occasion, Xi was deeply touched and responded: “How should we view these less popular scientific fields? In the conventional sense, some niche areas seem to have no practical use. Such a perception may hold back an entire field of research. When evaluating research, we must take a long-term, global and scientific perspective.”
These remarks have at all times been encouragement for Fu. In May 2026, she led a staff to efficiently acquire key molecular data bearing diagnostic options of Homo erectus from six fossilized enamel courting again roughly 400,000 years, offering new insights into the evolution of East Asian hominins throughout the Middle Pleistocene.
While encouraging researchers to persevere via years of painstaking work in obscurity, Xi is effectively conscious of their burdens.
He demanded releasing scientists from pointless formalities and crimson tape, and establishing a brand new analysis system based mostly on innovation functionality, high quality, precise impact and contribution.
In Xi’s view, sci-tech staff also needs to goal problems with global concern and provide Chinese options.
When working in east China’s Fujian Province, Xi as soon as briefed the visiting governor of Papua New Guinea’s Eastern Highlands Province on the know-how of Juncao, which makes use of a kind of hybrid grass to domesticate edible and medicinal mushrooms, whereas additionally serving as animal feed and serving to management soil erosion.
Seeing the governor present nice curiosity, Xi later despatched Chinese scientist Lin Zhanxi, developer of the know-how, to the South Pacific island nation to promote Juncao there.
“Turning Juncao technology into a ‘grass of happiness’ that benefits the people of developing countries — this is General Secretary Xi’s expectation and the true value of science and technology,” stated Lin.
Although Lin is over 80 years outdated now, he continues to lead his staff in organizing coaching programs and constructing demonstration bases all over the world. Today, Juncao has been launched to greater than 100 nations and areas.
Besides Juncao, China has shared the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, the anti-malarial drug artemisinin and hybrid rice with the world to deal with frequent challenges. Under Xi’s management, the nation has additionally opened 10 main items of scientific analysis infrastructure, together with the FAST telescope and the deep-sea manned submersible Fendouzhe, to global scientists and engineers.
While addressing a gathering in 2021 that introduced collectively the overall assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and the tenth nationwide congress of the China Association for Science and Technology, Xi underlined the necessity to “advance science and technology to better improve the well-being of mankind, and leverage China’s sci-tech achievements to make greater contributions to building a community with a shared future for humanity.”