CHINESE President Xi Jinping during chairing the third group study session of the Political Bureau of the 20th CPC Central Committee on Tuesday has called for strengthening basic research to consolidate the country's self-reliance and strength in science and technology.

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edited by|Hugh Gey

China section - CJ journalist

22 Feb.-2023

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Xi said that strengthening basic research is an urgent requirement for achieving greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology, as it is the only way for the country to become a world leader in science and technology.

At present, a new round of sci-tech revolution and industrial transformation is advancing by leaps and bounds, interdisciplinary integration is growing, the paradigm of scientific research is undergoing profound changes, the integration of science and technology with economic and social development is accelerating, the application cycle of basic research is significantly shortened, and international competition in basic research is moving to the forefront, Xi added.

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'' To cope with international sci-tech competition, achieve greater self-reliance, foster a new development pattern, and promote high-quality development, there is an urgent need to strengthen basic research and address key technologies from the source, and from the bottom'' the Chinese president added.

In other prospects Xi stressed on efforts to strengthen the forward-looking, strategic, and systematic layout of basic research and urged to coordinate frontier questions raised in light of the law of science development with theoretical questions drawn from major applied research, and sum up key scientific questions in basic research.

The country will optimize the layout of basic disciplines, support the development of key, emerging, less-popular, and weak disciplines, and promote interdisciplinary integration and research, so as to build a high-quality discipline system with comprehensive and balanced development, he added.

Xi called for the institutional reform of basic research to be deepened, and for the value-driven and strategy-directed role of systems and policies to be given full play.

Fiscal investment in basic research should be steadily increased, enterprises should be motivated to invest more through measures such as tax incentives, input from social forces should be encouraged, and the efficiency of the national natural science fund and its joint funds should be improved, he said.

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Xi stressed the need to improve the organization, application, review, and decision-making mechanisms for basic research projects, and coordinate efforts to tackle major scientific issues.

He also urged efforts to handle the relationship between the new system for mobilizing resources nationwide and the market mechanism well, and efforts to improve the evaluation and incentive system, the achievement application and transformation system, and the salary system in response to the long cycle of basic research. He also called for long-term and steady support for a batch of innovation bases, competitive teams, and key directions for basic research.

Xi stressed the need to establish a national laboratory system with Chinese characteristics, set up research centers for basic disciplines, build new research information platforms, and form a leading basic research backbone network to draw up scientific plans for major sci-tech infrastructure facilities that are forward-looking, strategy-oriented and application-supporting.

At the end Xi urged support for various basic research talent programs to be strengthened, adding that strategic scientists should be trained and used, young sci-tech talent should be supported to play a key role, and leading sci-tech and innovative talent teams should be continuously expanded.