Science and tech drive gathers pace

China's drive for scientific and technological self-reliance has gained momentum as national legislators and political advisers have focused special attention on the field. Their proposals and suggestions last year were well-reviewed by central departments and are being transformed into practical policies to promote technological innovation and its commercialization.

Central departments under the State Council, China's Cabinet, reviewed and handled 8,754 proposals by deputies to the National People's Congress and 4,868 suggestions by members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference last year, according to the State Council Information Office.

Pan Xiaodong, secretary-general of the Ministry of Science and Technology, said at a news conference in Beijing on Friday that national legislators and political advisers have emphasized the strategic leading position and fundamental supporting role of technology in recent years.

The ministry handled 901 proposals and suggestions last year, covering areas such as basic research, integration of science and industry, scientific and technological talent, and international science and technology cooperation, Pan added.

To accelerate the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, the ministry institutionalized the dominant position of enterprises in scientific and technological innovation, cultivated and expanded a group of leading and fast-growing enterprises across key industrial sectors, and encouraged enterprises to increase their research and development investment, Pan said.

Tao Huaiying, chief veterinary officer and director-general of the Department of Budget and Finance of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, pointed out that strengthening agricultural scientific and technological innovation and promoting the development of new quality productive forces in agriculture were also among the key focuses of last year's proposals and suggestions.

Tao said that after on-site investigations in 10 provinces and in-depth analytical discussions, these proposals and suggestions were translated into practical measurements and policies to enhance the overall efficiency of the agricultural scientific and technological innovation system.

He emphasized the breakthrough in cloning the world's first heat-tolerant gene for rice, which provided new insight into maintaining stable yields and enhancing rice quality in high-temperature environments. Additionally, a new wheat variety was developed that effectively addresses the challenges of simultaneously improving scab resistance, yield, and quality. Moreover, advancements in agricultural machinery research and development have mitigated problems concerning the availability and efficiency of equipment in some hilly and mountainous areas.

"We will focus on promoting the in-depth integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation and vigorously develop new quality productive forces in agriculture," Tao said, adding that special emphasis will be placed on areas such as core seed sources, agricultural machinery and equipment, and agricultural artificial intelligence, which are also essential for ensuring national food security and stabilizing socioeconomic development.