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 | Friday, April 14, 2000, updated at 10:23(GMT+8) | ||||||||||||
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Development of Science and Technology, South Countries' Top PriorityChina Thursday called on developing countries to give top priority to the advancement of science and technology in order to achieve a swift economic and social development amid the trend towards globalization.Chinese Vice Premier Li Lanqing, head of the Chinese Government delegation, made the statement at the first South Summit of the Group of 77, which opened here on Wednesday morning. "It is a new issue facing developing countries to keep abreast with the development of world science and technology and grasp opportunities presented by knowledge economy while responding to its challenge," he said. In the past decades, science and technology have developed unprecedentedly fast, he noted. "Knowledge and technology are becoming a major driving force for economic growth, exerting profound influence on the industrial structure and even on people's thinking and way of life." "Mankind is gradually moving away from an era of industrial civilization to that of knowledge economy," he said. "In the wave of knowledge economy, developing countries face challenges far greater than before." Lack of capability for science and technology and technological capabilities, a shortage of talents and capital, restrictions by developed countries on technology transfer in the name of protecting intellectual property rights and other such factors have left developing countries generally behind in the field of knowledge and technology, he said. "Particularly, those developing countries that have not started industrialization are threatened with the danger of being marginalized by knowledge economy," he said. "To achieve a swift economic and social development amid the trend towards globalization, we developing countries should give top priority to the advancement of science and technology, placing the promotion of scientific and technical progress and innovation high in their development strategy, adapt to and participate in the process of building an information-based world and facilitate the rise of new industries," he said. "We should attach great importance to education, make education-related policies and laws, increase input in this area and make a big effort to turn out and attract more innovative talents,"he said. "We should make full use of the conveniences available in the information age to fully tap human resources and build up their capacities with a view to advancing science and technology," he said. "Furthermore, we should increase scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation among us so as to complement, support and help each other, which will be conducive to gradually increasing the content of science and technology in our economic growth," he said. At present, most of the sophisticated science and technologies are in the hands of developed countries, he said. "They have got this edge, to some extent, by making use of professionals from developing countries and by the wealth they have amassed through unfair trade," he said. Therefore, they have the obligation and responsibility to help developing countries in the field of science and technology, he said. "They should take effective measures to transfer technology to developing countries, render them financial aid and assistance in personnel training, increase cooperation with them and explore ways for joint research and development so as to create a favorable external environment for progress in science and technology in developing countries," he said. Knowledge and technology are top on the agenda of the current South Summit, which is intended to map out a strategy for the developing South to achieve economic and social development in the new century.
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