President Xi Jinping urged an overhaul of China’s innovation system during a national science assembly in Beijing.
President Xi Jinping spoke at the national science assembly held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. He called for seizing historical opportunities and breaking through structural hurdles in the tech sector.
Xi noted that the 2026-2030 plan period is a critical phase for building a tech powerhouse. He stressed the need for breakthrough innovation to drive Chinese modernisation.
The president highlighted ongoing challenges. These include insufficient original innovation capability in certain fields, an irrational talent structure, and low efficiency in tech investment.
Each 2025 laureate of the State Pre-eminent Science and Technology Award received 5 million yuan, about US$736,000, in prize money. Xi linked the push to global competition, stating that technological strength and innovation capability have increasingly become a nation’s core competitiveness.
