Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called for accelerated efforts to achieve high-level self-reliance and strength in science and technology, and leverage sci-tech innovation to underpin and drive Chinese modernization.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at a meeting in Beijing that brought together the national science and technology award conference, the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), and the 11th national congress of the China Association for Science and Technology.
He said the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030) is a critical phase for tackling tough challenges in building up the country’s strength in science and technology.
“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 said.
At the meeting, Xi presented China’s top sci-tech award for the year 2025 to Chen Liquan, a researcher at the Institute of Physics under the CAS and a CAE academician, and Ben De, a researcher at the China Electronics Technology Group Corporation and also a CAE academician. After presenting the medals and certificates to the two scientists, Xi shook hands with them and extended his congratulations.
Xi and other Party and state leaders, together with the two top-award winners, presented certificates to representatives of recipients of other awards.
Li Qiang presided over the meeting. Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi and Li Xi attended the meeting. Ding Xuexiang announced the award decision.
Xi noted that China is now accelerating its transition from a global participant and contributor in science and technology to a pioneer and leader, and has become one of the countries with the fastest growing innovation capacity.
Over the past two years, China has achieved a string of remarkable sci-tech breakthroughs, including Chang’e-6 completing humanity’s first-ever sample return from the moon’s far side, smart robots and drones making strides in both R&D and industrial application, innovative drugs leaping from imitation and follow-on research to world-first development, as well as domestically-bred crop varieties covering over 95 percent of the country’s farmland.
But Xi also pointed out that China still faces gaps in original innovation capacity, an imbalanced talent structure, and inefficient use of science and technology investment, which demand serious attention and resolution.
He stressed that the new round of sci-tech revolution and industrial transformation is profoundly changing the way humanity produces and lives, as well as the landscape of global development.
