Accelerate the Implementation of the Innovation-driven Development Strategy

Innovation has played a crucial role in driving the constant development of countries, nations and productive forces throughout human history. As a decisive factor amid global changes of a magnitude not seen in a century, technological innovation has featured prominently on the strategic agenda of major countries as they compete intensely for the high ground in science and technology (S&T) to gain the upper hand in development.

In the first decade of the new era from 2012 to 2022, with nationwide R&D spending rising from 1 trillion yuan to 2.8 trillion yuan, the second highest in the world, China is now home to the largest cohort of R&D personnel in the world. Thanks to such solid financial and intellectual foundations, China has grown stronger in basic research and original innovation, made breakthroughs in some core technologies in key fields, and boosted emerging strategic industries.

As a result, we have witnessed major successes on multiple fronts, including manned spaceflight, lunar and Martian exploration, deep sea and deep earth probes, supercomputers, satellite navigation, quantum information, nuclear power technology, new energy technology, airliner manufacturing, and biomedicine. China has thus joined the ranks of the world’s innovators. 

The unprecedentedly intense technological innovation in the new era has given rise to a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, which in turn is reshaping the global innovation landscape as well as the global economic structure. Never has S&T had such a profound impact on the futureof a country or on people’s lives and wellbeing as it does today, due to the accelerated integration of S&T into social and economic development. 

Presented with this once-in-a-lifetime historic opportunity, the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core has adopted a far-sighted and holistic approach to technological innovation, setting out generalS&T goals for the year 2035, main tasks over the next five years and the following arrangements for accelerating the innovation-driven development strategy in the report to the 20th CPC National Congress. 

—Setting our sights on the global S&T frontiers, national economic development, the major needs of the country, and the health and safety of the people, we should speed up efforts to achieve greater self-reliance and strength in S&T. 

—To meet China’s strategic needs, we will concentrate resources on original and pioneering scientific and technological research to achieve breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields. 

—In order to enhance China’s innovation capacity, we will move faster to launch a number of major national projects that are of strategic, big-picture, and long-term importance.

—We will strengthen basic research, prioritize original innovation, and encourage researchers to engage in free exploration. 

—To inspire greater creativity, we will invest more effectively in S&T and advance reform of the mechanisms for the allocation and use of government research funds.

—We will promote closer enterprise-led collaboration between industries, universities, and research institutes, stay goal-oriented, and promote the industrial application of scientific and technological advances.

—We will reinforce the principal role of enterprises in innovation, give full play to the guiding and supporting role of key high-tech enterprises, create an enabling environment for the growth of micro, small, and medium technological enterprises, and promote deeper integration of the innovation, industrial, capital, and talent chains.