Xi said China had made remarkable scientific progress in areas ranging from space to deep sea exploration. But he said the capacity for “original innovation” was relatively weak, some core technologies were constrained by other countries, and there was a skills shortage.
“We must have a greater sense of urgency,” he said. “We must step up innovation in order to occupy the commanding heights of the tech competition for future development.”
The US Treasury Department last week said it was proposing new rules to restrict outbound investment in tech critical to “the next generation of military, intelligence, surveillance or cyber-enabled capabilities that pose national security risks to the United States”, with China being a “country of concern”.
As China’s battle for tech supremacy with the US has intensified in recent years, Xi has frequently stressed the need for technological self-reliance and innovation, which Beijing also hopes will drive long-term economic growth.
Addressing some 3,000 scientists and researchers at the Great Hall of the People on Monday, Xi – flanked by the rest of the Politburo Standing Committee – laid out his expectations.
He said China should have “strong capabilities in basic research and original innovation”, and it should be able to “continuously produce important, original and disruptive tech fruits” so that the country can “profoundly reshape the global order and development landscape”.
Xi pointed to having the tech needed for “high-quality development and high-level security” and said there should be a focus on emerging technologies in AI, quantum science, biotechnology and other areas.
He also spoke about the leadership’s ambitions for China to play a leading international role in science and innovation.
And he vowed to improve funding for basic research under a “whole-nation system”, with resources pooled to support tech development, better incentivise scientists and promote international collaborations.
Beijing has earmarked some 98 billion yuan (about US$13.5 billion) for basic research this year, up 13 per cent from 2023. In comparison, the US federal budget for basic research this year is US$48.6 billion – an increase of US$1 billion from 2023.
“As the international environment is getting more complex, we should open our hearts and open up our doors even wider. We should coordinate [the requirements of] opening-up and security, and achieve self-reliance and self-improvement,” the Chinese leader said.
