On July 8th, Beijing hosted the National Conference on State Awards for Science and Technology, a joint meeting of members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and the 11th National Congress of the China Association for Science and Technology. General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, President of the People's Republic of China, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission Xi Jinping attended the meeting, presented the highest state awards for science and technology, and delivered a keynote speech. The meeting was chaired by Premier Li Qiang.

Xi Jinping emphasized that the period of the 15th Five-Year Plan represents a crucial stage in building China into a world-class scientific and technological power. He called for seizing historical opportunities, actively addressing new challenges, and accelerating the development of a highly advanced system of self-reliance in science and technology. The goal, he said, is to build China into a leading global center of science and technology by 2035, and to provide strong support for Chinese modernization through scientific and technological innovation.

In his speech, he stated that since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the country has achieved historic successes in the field of science and technology, gradually transforming from a significant participant in global innovation to its pioneer and leader. He emphasized the need to strengthen the national system of scientific and technological innovation, deepen the connection between scientific and industrial innovation, accelerate the application of research results in practice, improve the protection of intellectual property rights, and further develop the financing system for scientific and technological innovation.

Xi Jinping also called for increased support for young scientists, improved efficiency of investment in research and development, a deepening reform of the evaluation system for scientific work, and strengthened scientific ethics and management of technological risks. He also emphasized the importance of China's active participation in global science and technology governance.

During the award ceremony, the Highest State Award for Science and Technology for 2025 was presented to Chen Liquan from the Institute of Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ben De from the 14th Research Institute of China Electronics Corporation. The awards were also received by laureates of the National Natural Science Awards, the National Prizes for Technological Inventions, the State Prizes for Scientific and Technological Progress, and the International Prizes of the People's Republic of China for scientific and technological cooperation. A total of 258 science and technology awards were presented in 2025, recognizing 11 outstanding scientists, including two recipients of the Highest State Award for Science and Technology. Nine foreign experts also received the International Prize of the People's Republic of China for scientific and technological cooperation.

gnews.cz / CMG