国内英语新闻:China attaches importance to management of scientific funding: state councilor

BEIJING, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor Liu Yandong met here Thursday with experts of the International Evaluation Committee on National Natural Science Foundation (NSFC)'s Funding and Management Performance.

The Chinese government attaches great importance to the development of science and technology as well as the supervision and management of scientific funding, said Liu.

She said by implementing the National Outline for Medium and Long Term Science and Technology Development and other supporting policies, China was gradually increasing investment in this area and continuing to promote technological innovation.

Inviting prestigious international experts to evaluate the performance of scientific funding and management is very significant for the founding of the performance evaluation system as well as the development and improvement of the scientific funding system, she said.

Liu said the establishment of the scientific funding system was a successful trial for the reform of China's science and technology system.

She praised the positive role played by the NSFC in the past 25 years and hoped the experts would provide objective analysis and evaluation on the NSFC's Funding and Management Performance.

She also asked the NSFC and other relevant departments to create favorable conditions for the experts' evaluation work.