Innovation with Chinese characteristics: towards harmonious transformation.(APPENDIX)

REPORT ON SPEECH BY PRESIDENT HU JINTAO AT CHINA'S FOURTH NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, BEIJING, 9 JANUARY 2006

A wealth of policy materials, case studies, press releases and research reports on the role of innovation in China's social, scientific and economic development may be found on the English language version of the PRC website: http://english.gov.cn/

The following materials have been extracted from reports on that website and synthesised here into an overview of President Hu Jintao's keynote speech at China's Fourth National Conference on Science & Technology, Beijing on January 9, 2006.

The speech, titled 'adhere to a new path of innovation with Chinese characteristics and strive to build an innovation-oriented country' was published by the People's Publishing House and was distributed by Xinhua Book Stores January 10, 2006.

Outling major strategic tasks for building an innovation-oriented country, President Hu Jintao said China will embark on a new path of innovation with Chinese characteristics, the core of which is to:

* adhere to innovation;

* seek leapfrog development in key areas;

* make breakthroughs in key technologies and common technologies to meet urgent requirements in realizing sustained and coordinated economic and social development; and

* make arrangements for frontier technologies and basic research with a long-term perspective.

Hu said that China's competitiveness should be enhanced by giving prominence to raising innovation capability. Raising the capability of innovation would focus on major issues in the field which hamper economic and social development such as:

* technologies for water resources and environmental protection;

* protecting intellectual property rights of key techniques in equipment manufacturing and information industries in raising competitiveness;

* boosting manufacturing and information industries;

* raising agricultural production capacity;

* developing technologies in energy exploration, energy-saving and clean energy resources;

* optimizing energy infrastructure.

Goals also included developing a recycling economy, breakthroughs in pharmacy and key medical equipment, developing technologies for national defence, and building up advanced scientific groups, research institutions and enterprises, Hu said.

Outlining a medium-long-term program for science and technology development from 2006 to 2020, Hu said that China will spend 15 years to turn itself into a innovation-oriented country, which means broad and profound social reform. 'A favorable mechanism should be established so that science and technology will accelerate social development, and in turn, society should increase investment in scientific and technological innovation,' he added. Hu also called for the creation a favorable financial environment for local, national and international companies to conduct innovation.

According to Hu, China will implement the strategy of rejuvenating the nation with science, education and human resources, giving further importance to science, technology and innovation to transform the country's social and economic development in a coordinated sustainable system which places people first.

China will train world first-class scientists, especially young and middle-aged scientists, based on national key scientific research projects and international scientific cooperation projects. An incentive mechanism will be formed to increase the efficiency of innovation and provide more chances for young talented people. China will introduce more overseas-trained people and attract overseas Chinese graduates back to start businesses in China, Hu said.

Chinese research institutes and universities are encouraged to build joint laboratories and research centers with overseas research organs. China will support enterprises to increase export of high-tech products and establish research and development (R&D) bases overseas. International enterprises are also encouraged to set up R&D organizations in China. Hu added that China should not only inherit and develop traditional culture but also absorb the advantages of the cultures of other countries.

Important tasks in building an innovation-oriented country include encouraging the innovation vitality of the entire society, turning scientific and technological achievements into productive forces. The government would play a leading role in scientific and technological achievements, while the basic role of the market will be given full play in the allocation of scientific and technological resources. Companies would play a principal part, while research institutes and universities across the country would assume a key role in the innovation process.

Hu also stressed the combination of military and civil scientific and technological resources and the combination of central and local innovative forces as crucial to innovation and social and economic development in China.

Adapted from:

President Hu outlines tasks for building innovation-oriented country

http://english.gov.cn/2006-01/09/content_151696.htm

Editor: Zhang Lihong; Source: Xinhua

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