China strives to become innovation-driven country: minister

Minister of Science and Technology Wang Zhigang attends a press conference on "making China a country of innovators" for the second session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, capital of China, March 11, 2019.[Photo:Xinhua]

Chinese Science and Technology Minister says China will increase investment into basic science research and enhance international cooperation on technological innovation in efforts to become an innovation-driven country.

Chinese Science and Technology Minister Wang Zhigang says 2019 is a critical year if China is to meet its set target of becoming a country of innovation by 2020.

He was speaking during the on-going annual parliamentary meeting.

"A report by World Intellectual Property Organization said last year China ranked 17th in terms of comprehensive sci-tech innovation capability. The goal we have set is to rank 15th by 2020. In addition, the contribution of science and technology to economic growth need to reach 60 percent by 2020 and the rate has already reached 58.5 percent last year."

The minister says for China to become an innovation-driven country, it needs to be ranked among the world's leading countries in terms of sci-tech strength and innovation capabilities.

He says sci-tech innovation must be placed at the core of China's modernization process and that it's an important support and driving force for high-quality development.

The official has stressed the importance of basic research to scientific innovation.

"For China's science and technology circles, the ability and output of basic research still leave something to be desired. We should take the basic research as a focal point. It's also a priority in the general strategy in science and technology innovation."

Wang says that China spends about five percent of its research and development budget on basic research. He says a large portion of the funding used to come from the central government, but now more and more enterprises are investing in this field.

"Chinese enterprises, especially some high-tech enterprises and the enterprises that take the science and technology innovation as their competitive power, are currently focusing on basic research. They are investing on basic research, including mathematics and other basic subjects."

Wang says the government will make the processes easier for universities, research institutes, enterprises and individuals to participate in scientific and technological innovation projects.

To attract more talents into the field of basic scientific research, the minister adds the governmnet will provide more favorable policies and resources to satisfy the needs of researchers.