China Youth Daily:

The CAE has set the aim to build a national high-end think tank that serves both national and local needs. Could you share with us the specific plans for this? What specific measures have been taken to promote high-quality development and build up China's strength in science and technology? Thank you.

Li Xiaohong:

Thank you for your questions. The CAE has recently set the aim to build a national high-end think tank that serves both national and local needs. The aim is based on the functions given to the CAE by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. Nationally, the think tank will make suggestions, including many suggestions from academicians, to the CPC Central Committee and the State Council for reference when making major decisions. Locally, the think tank will offer strategic advice for local socio-economic development.

We have some considerations on how to build our team and the high-quality think tank in the future. According to the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, and as General Secretary Xi Jinping said at the meeting conflating the general assemblies of the members of the CAS and the CAE last year, the CAS and the CAE are China's strategic sci-tech forces, which determines the positioning and mission of the two academies.

There are several things in consideration: First, we will continue to build up China's strategic strength in science and technology. We will continue deepening the reform of the academicians system, further optimize the structure and academic disciplines of academicians and promote them to play a greater role in major national projects and core and key technologies.

Second, we will build a national high-level think tank for engineering science and technology that serves both national and local needs. The think tank will be first-rate in China and renowned in the world. Nationally, the think tank will more actively make suggestions to the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. Locally, it will contribute more wisdom and strength to local socio-economic development. We have made specific plans for this.

Third, we will advance research on key and core technologies. The CAE can bring together academicians working at different places and units around the country. The nine academic divisions of the CAE have covered almost the leading figures of all areas of engineering science and technology. We can organize academicians and experts from different disciplines and fields to carry out joint research and serve national strategies, which is both our mission and our advantage.

Fourth, we should tell China's stories well in regard to global engineering science and technology governance. We should be more open-minded, promote innovative cooperation in global engineering science and technology with concrete measures, and improve the country's international stature in this field.

We will make more efforts to implement the strategic layout to be mapped out at the upcoming 20th CPC National Congress.