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Country Places Hope on Scientists
Country Places Hope on Scientists
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Vice-Premier Li Lanqing Friday urged Chinese intellectuals to work harder to make more contributions to China's science and technology development.
He urged them to fully realize the impact of their research on China's economic development in the new century.
Li made the remarks in Beijing at the closing session of the 10th Conference of Chinese Academy of Science and the Fifth Conference of Chinese Academy of Engineering.
The two academies are generally regarded as China's top research governmental think-tanks.
Thirteen new members from foreign countries were voted into the two academies. The academies now have 625 and 544 domestic academicians, respectively, and 36 and 18 foreign academicians.
In his speech, the vice-premier said the central government has realized that technology and science are powerful forces driving the nation's economy.
He urged academies to work with a pioneering spirit and enthusiasm in scientific research and passing on scientific knowledge to people.
"Our country is the biggest developing country in the world," he said. "It is necessary for us to turn the scientific research findings into practical use and sharpen our competitive edge."
He called for the academies to work together to create a democratic and down-to-earth academic environment.
"It is also important that academicians should do their best to help the younger generation not only in their profession, but also in their attitude towards academic research," Li said.
Li also made an inspection Thursday of the Zhongguancun high-tech development zone in Beijing, known as China's "Silicon Valley."
Li said the central authorities have high hopes for the zone and that efforts should be made to promote its development.
Located in Haidian District of Beijing, Zhongguancun has more than 1,227 high-tech enterprises, that produced 52.7 billion yuan (US$6.3 billion) worth of industrial goods last year. It has become a leading force behind Beijing's rapid economic growth.
The vice-premier said that over the past year, Zhongguancun has made much progress with help from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing University, Qinghua University and other institutions of higher learning in the area.
Li said he hoped that Zhongguancun would become an example for high-tech development zones in other parts of the country.
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