CHINA is striving to build its capital Beijing into a global sci-tech innovation hub by 2025, said senior officials at a press conference yesterday.

The city’s creativity, competitiveness and influence in innovation are expected to reach the top level globally as of 2035, said vice mayor Jin Wei.

It is a strategic move to improve the country’s national strategic strength in science and technology during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), said Li Meng, vice minister of science and technology.

China has pledged to support the building of international science and technology innovation centers in Beijing, Shanghai, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, according to the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee’s development proposals.

Li said the ministry and the Beijing Municipal Government have coordinated with 21 departments including the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Chinese Academy of Sciences to roll out an action plan for the construction of Beijing international sci-tech innovation hub.

China will further support national laboratories in Beijing and establish an innovation center for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Efforts will be made to foster basic research and promote key and core technologies in frontier areas including quantum information, artificial intelligence, blockchain and health, according to Li.

Beijing will improve its governance system for science and technology, stimulate the innovation and creativity of talents and build up influence through sci-tech cooperation, Li said.

(Xinhua)