Chinese vice premier urges strengthening of advanced manufacturing

Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing has called for strengthening and expanding advanced manufacturing, enhancing the self-reliance and controllability of industrial chains, and accelerating the building of a modern industrial system with advanced manufacturing as its backbone.

Zhang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during his inspection tour in the northeastern province of Jilin from Thursday to Saturday.

He stressed the need to make greater efforts to promote the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation, encourage enterprises, especially large ones, to strengthen basic research, and achieve breakthroughs in a number of key core technologies and generic technologies.

Efforts should be made to develop next-generation intelligent manufacturing, accelerate the widespread application of digital, intelligent and green technologies, and promote the renewal and upgrading of traditional industries, Zhang said.

He also emphasized the need to strengthen basic theoretical studies on scientific research instruments and give full play to the role of key scientific and technological research forces, including national laboratories, national research institutions, high-level research universities and leading sci-tech enterprises.

Zhang urged efforts to enhance common supporting capabilities for scientific research instruments, such as system integration, standards and metrology, pilot-scale verification, and inspection and testing, so as to promote the application and dissemination of independently developed technologies and products.

Chinese vice premier urges strengthening of advanced manufacturing

Iran's nuclear chief vowed on Sunday that the country will not give up the nuclear technology it has mastered under foreign pressures, and that no law allows any foreign country to deprive the Islamic Republic of that technology, the Iranian official news agency IRNA reported.

Mohammad Eslami, director of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, was speaking at an international conference "Ecocide: The Silent War Crime" held in Tehran, the report said.

Eslami criticized the United States for applying double standards on nuclear technology, questioning why Washington prioritizes expanding its own nuclear capabilities while seeking to deny Iran access to the technology, IRNA said.

He added that Iran would "continue pursuing its plan to generate 20,000 megawatts of nuclear electricity, despite wartime pressures," according to the report.

He also claimed that Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant ranks among the world's top 10 in terms of safety and efficiency.

The comments came after U.S. Vice President JD Vance said in an interview on Oct 5 that Iran must "substantially" reduce its uranium enrichment capacity to meet Washington's demands and bring an end to the conflict.

In response, Eslami said U.S. threats are "nothing new."

Iran vows not to abandon nuclear technology under foreign pressures