Xi sets targets for China's science, technology progress

Chinese President Xi Jinping addresses an event conflating the national conference on science and technology, the biennial conference of the country's two top think tanks, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering, and the national congress of the China Association for Science and Technology, in Beijing, capital of China, May 30, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping set a target for China to become a leading power in science and technology (S&T) by the middle of this century while addressing a major conference on Monday.

China should establish itself as one of the most innovative countries by 2020 and a leading innovator by 2030, and become a leading global S&T power by the 100th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in 2049, Xi said.

He made the remarks at an event combining the national conference on S&T innovation, the biennial conferences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering, and the national congress of the China Association for Science and Technology.

Xi stressed the role of S&T as a bedrock that "the country relies on for its power, enterprises rely on for victories, and people rely on for a better life."

"Great scientific and technological capacity is a must for China to be strong and for people's lives to improve," he said, calling for new ideas, designs, and strategies in science and technology.

The conference, chaired by Premier Li Keqiang, was also attended by senior leaders Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Liu Yunshan and Wang Qishan.

China now ranks among the world's most advanced countries in some important fields in S&T development, Xi said.

The country is in an important transitional stage from quantity to a leap in quality, and from breakthroughs in limited areas to an improvement in overall capacity, he said.

The president hailed innovation as an important force in promoting development of a country as well as mankind.

"It won't do without innovation, nor will it do if the innovation was carried out slowly," Xi said.

"We could be thrown into an unfavorable situation and miss opportunities for development -- or miss an entire era -- if we fail to recognize changes, respond to changes and innovatively seek change," he added.

It is "an inevitable choice" for China to implement its strategy of innovation-driven development, Xi said.

This strategy aims to ensure China's decision-making power for its own development, improve its core competitiveness, accelerate adjustment of its development pattern, solve deep-rooted problems, better guide economic development in the "new normal," and maintain sustainable and healthy economic development, Xi said.

In seeking to become a world-leading S&T power, China aims to speed up S&T innovations in all fields and seize the initiative in global S&T competition, Xi said.