Chinese President Xi Jinping has always placed great emphasis on sci-tech innovation and advocated for greater sci-tech self-reliance and self-strengthening, as was demonstrated by his three inspection trips to Anhui Province in east China since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2012, and on many other occasions.
Innovation is a hallmark of Anhui and a key term that Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, highlighted during his visits to the province.
On April 26, 2016, Xi visited the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei, Anhui's capital, where he stressed the importance of enhancing the sense of mission, making innovation the top priority, and striving to catch up with developed countries in this respect.
During the visit, Xi commended the province's swift and impactful initiatives in sci-tech innovation, recognizing its significant achievements. He encouraged Anhui to carve out a new path for the development of China's central region.
On Aug 19, 2020, Xi walked into the Anhui Innovation Center in Hefei, where he called for enhanced efforts to solidify the foundation of innovation, accelerating the commercialization of sci-tech achievements, and developing emerging industries.
During the visit, Xi urged the province to accelerate its integration into the coordinated development of the Yangtze River Delta, stressing two key themes of integration and high-quality development.
On Oct 17, 2024, Xi visited the Hefei Binhu Science City, where he examined an array of major sci-tech innovations attained by the province and exchanged views with researchers and corporate executives.
Noting that sci-tech innovation is an essential path to Chinese modernization, Xi called for accelerated efforts to achieve greater self-reliance and self-strengthening in science and technology, and encouraged sci-tech researchers to be more innovative in helping build the country's capacity in science and technology.
He also urged efforts to expedite sci-tech innovation, accelerate industrial transformation and upgrading, expand international exchanges and cooperation in science and technology, and establish mechanisms that support comprehensive innovation.
During the visit, Xi urged Anhui to persistently enhance its role as a major center for technological innovation with big influence.
Beyond his visits to Anhui, each inspection of scientific and technological innovation work has underscored Xi's vision for a strong and self-reliant technological nation.
He boarded a display model of the C919 passenger aircraft at the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China in Shanghai in May 2014.
He operated an automatic rice transplanter during his visit to a rice planting cooperative in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province in May 2016.
He took a vehicle tour of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, a "super project" in China's bridge construction history, in October 2018.
He examined an electrified and intelligent Hongqi car at the R and D headquarters of FAW Group in Changchun, capital of northeast China's Jilin province in July 2020.
In July 2020, Xi announced the commissioning of China's BeiDou-3 Navigation Satellite System (BDS-3).
In September 2024, he visited an exhibition on the lunar samples brought back by the Chang'e-6 probe and on China's lunar exploration achievements.
At a meeting conflating the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) on June 24, 2024, Xi once again underscored the importance of sci-tech modernization and innovation in pursuing Chinese modernization and high-quality development.
The Chinese president also stressed the need to enhance the sense of urgency and to further bolster sci-tech innovation.
"Now the baton of history has been passed on to our generation. We should set great aspirations, stay high in morale, work hard in unity, and forge ahead toward the grand goal of building China into a leading country in science and technology," he said.
The Resolution of the CPC Central Committee on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese Modernization was adopted at the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee in July 2024, proposing the development of supportive systems and mechanisms for all-around innovation.
While addressing a meeting conflating the general assemblies of the members of the CAS and the CAE, and the national congress of the China Association for Science and Technology in May 2021, Xi urged sci-tech professionals to assume the responsibilities of the times and strive for sci-tech self-reliance and self-strengthening at higher levels.
"There is a great potential for independent innovation in China, and the sci-tech professionals in our country can accomplish a lot. With the spirit of advancing with the times, the courage of making continuous improvement through reforms, and indomitable determination and perseverance, the sci-tech professionals in our country must target the global sci-tech frontiers, serve the main economic battlefields, strive to fulfill the significant needs of the country and benefit people's life and health, to achieve sci-tech self-reliance and self-improvement at a higher level," he said.
Xi places great emphasis on China's scientific, innovative development
