CRI听力:Chinese Premier Encourages Sci-tech Innovation

Premier Li Keqiang says China should consider science and technology as a primary productive force.

"Scientific and technological innovation to a large extent determines the future of China's development strategy. In history, we have missed several technological revolutions. At present, we must put innovation at the core of the country's comprehensive development, and thus restructure our competitive advantages."

Stressing the country's "Internet Plus" campaign for better digital infrastructure, Premier Li encourages enterprises and individuals to pool funds and knowledge.

Internet Plus is a development campaign raised by the premier earlier this year.

The goal to it is to integrate the Internet and traditional industries through online platforms and IT technology, in an effort to help the country's economic restructuring.

The premier says the government will ensure a fair and open environment for sci-tech businesses, and further cut red tape to help meet these goals.

Along with this, experts suggest effort should be made to improve innovation abilities in western China. Currently, most science and education resources are concentrated in more developed regions, such as Beijing and Shanghai.

Xie Yi, an inorganic chemist with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, gives her suggestions.

"I think the government can distribute some important scientific engineering projects and national laboratories in major cities in western and central China where conditions permit it. By this means, the regions' capacity for independent innovation can be significantly enhanced. Meanwhile, this can provide long-term, stable support for science, technology, and talented professionals."

The suggestions were made at a symposium on science and technology strategy, which is to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of China's top scientific think tanks, the Academic Divisions of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Meeting with members from the think tank, Premier Li said scientific and technological personnel are the core driving force of innovation.

"Scientific and technological personnel ought to be among the higher-income groups in society, as they have played a pivotal and irreplaceable role in creating social wealth. Along with measures protecting incomes of people involved in basic research, the country will improve income distribution to enable personnel to become well-off through their inventions. This action can stimulate their innovation power."

For CRI, I'm Huang Shan.