During the 2024 Global Times Annual Conference, Shen Yang, a professor at Tsinghua University’s School of Journalism and Communication, emphasized that the foundation of China’s innovations lies in addressing the fundamental needs of its people. He stated that by reconnecting with the everyday lives of the population, Chinese technology and innovation can unlock greater possibilities.
Shen highlighted the challenge of sustaining scientific and technological innovations, underscoring the importance of integrating innovations with everyday life. He expressed that driving scientific and technological advancements is relatively straightforward, but the real challenge lies in maintaining a continuous and meaningful impact.
Noted Chinese scientist Ni Guangnan, addressing the conference through video, emphasized the significance of scientific modernization for overall Chinese development. He stressed that technology serves as a crucial engine for societal advancement and a key guarantee for sustained societal development.
Ni underscored the importance of sticking to scientific and technological innovations and nurturing talent to propel Chinese modernization in a high-quality manner. He emphasized that continuous enrichment of talent reserves is essential for creating sustained scientific and technological innovation capabilities and achieving high-level self-reliance in this field.
Lü Benfu, a professor from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, outlined China’s current status in innovation, noting that the country leads the world in approximately 10 percent of innovative sectors and ranks among the top group in 15 percent of related areas. Lü identified three advantages that position China for further innovation: a comprehensive national system supporting innovative endeavors, a substantial pool of science and engineering graduates, and a complete industrial system.
While highlighting the vast number of science and engineering graduates in China, Lü stressed the need for further education to cultivate world-class talent. He also acknowledged that China should address weaknesses in areas such as the transformation of scientific and technological achievements and original innovations.
Shen noted significant growth in sectors like artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous driving, and humanoid robotics, predicting the emergence of unicorns in these areas. He highlighted the potential for vast growth in industrial links, particularly in response to the US high-tech crackdown, as well as sectors related to China’s “go global” strategy and the Belt and Road Initiative.