Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed self-reliance in science and technology, hailing it as the "key" in building China into a great modern socialist country, during an inspection tour of an information technology innovation park in Beijing on Monday.
When visiting the national information technology innovation park in Beijing E-Town, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, viewed displays showcasing sci-tech achievements in fields such as artificial intelligence and robotics, and spoke with researchers and heads of technology enterprises. Xi said he was "even more confident" in the country's sci-tech innovation after seeing what was presented during the visit.
He stressed that sci-tech self-reliance and strength is the "key" in China's efforts to build a great modern socialist country and urged the Chinese capital to leverage its unique strengths to make greater contributions in this regard.
He also extended his Spring Festival wishes to the crowd at the park.
The Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, is the most important traditional festival for the Chinese. This year it falls on Feb 17.
Xi stresses sci-tech self-reliance in building great modern socialist country
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Saturday that nuclear power plant sites or nearby areas must never be attacked, following a fourth strike near an Iranian nuclear power plant.
The IAEA said on social platform X that, according to the information from Iran, a projectile hit the nearby area of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant on Saturday morning. This was the fourth such incident in recent weeks, it said.
One staff member at the site was killed by a projectile fragment, while a building on the site was affected by shockwaves and fragments, the IAEA said, citing the Iranian authorities. There was no increase in radiation levels reported, it added.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi expressed his deep concern about the incident, stressing that nuclear power plant sites or nearby areas "must never be attacked." He warned that the auxiliary site buildings may contain vital safety equipment.
Grossi once again stressed the paramount importance of ensuring nuclear safety and security during a conflict, calling for maximum military restraint to avoid the risk of a nuclear accident.
Iran's nuclear facilities have been struck several times since the joint Israeli-U.S. military actions against the Islamic Republic started on Feb. 28.
Nuclear power plants must never be attacked: IAEA chief
