Wen Jiabao, member of the standing committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and premier, visited the Chinese Academy of Sciences on Monday, Nov.1. He stressed we should rely on scientific and technological progress to accelerate the readjustment of industrial structure, transform the way of economic growth and improve the whole quality and efficiency of national economy in order to bring about a coordinated sustainable development of economic society in an all-round way.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (L) visits the Chinese Science Academy on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the founding of the academy, in Beijing Nov. 1, 2004.

November 1 marks the 55th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Accompanied by CAS President Lu Yongxiang Wen Jiabao and State Councilor Chen Zhili visited CAS research institutes and labs including the Research Institute of Paleo-vertebrate creatures and Paleo-anthropology, Research Institute of Physics, the Research Institute of Computer Technology, laboratory of ancient life specimen and key state laboratory of super-conduction. On October 31 Wen paid a special visit to famous scientists Wu Wenjun, Liu Dongsheng and Li Guojie, and rendered his homage to them and generations of scientists.

When talking with scientists Wen pointed out in 55 years since the founding of the CAS the academy has made a great batch of important scientific achievements and trained batches of excellent talented scientists. He hoped that the academy will go on to do a good job on developing new knowledgeable projects and to combine the projects with the medium- and long-term scientific and technological development programs, with the development of economic society, with the reform of scientific and technological system and with talent training. The fundamental, strategic high-tech and important public welfare researches should be strengthened to push on scientific and technological innovations, aiming at making breakthroughs in key fields. By doing so, the CAS will be turned into a first-class base for scientific researches and technological innovations, for educating high-tech talents and for boosting the development of new and high-tech industries.

Wen said the first 20 years of this century is an important and rare strategic opportunity for the development of social economy in the country. It is also a rare strategic opportunity for the development of science and technology in a big way. The development of science and technology faces two subjects: firstly facing a new round of scientific challenges to improve the competitiveness of Chinese science and technology; secondly improving the combination of science and technology with economy so as to offer scientific and technological support for building a well-off society in an all-round way and the modernization drive. We should make a general program with overall arrangement for the future development of science and technology in the country with emphasis on overall situation, strategic importance and perspectiveness. By unremitting efforts, a scientific and technological management frame and a state innovation system should be set up to adapt to the requirement of socialist market economy.

Wen pointed out it is fundamental to settle the problems of the structure and the way of growth in the development of Chinese economy by relying on science and technology. We should build up and finalize scientific concept of development, take a new road to industrialization, improve scientific and technological advancement and raise the scientific and technological contents of economic development. By scientific and technological innovation, industrial structure will be updated and quality of products made by China will be improved with market competitiveness.

Wen emphasized that the key to develop science and technology is talents. China should have a strong scientific and technological contingent of talents with a batch of leading cadres in key fields and important posts and with a batch of top scientists in the world. Therefore talents in various fields should be trained in a wide-ranging way. High attention should be paid to training young scientific and technological talents. A good environment will be created for talents showing themselves and attracting talents from the world over.

Premier Wen (L) visits computer scientist Li Guojie in Beijing, Nov. 1. Wen Jiabao said the state will strive to create better working and living conditions for scientists.

Premier Wen (L) visits geologist Liu Dongsheng.

Premier Wen visits mathematician Wu Wenjun, in Beijing, Nov. 1. Wen Jiabao said the state will strive to create better working and living conditions for scientists.

By People's Daily Online