[People.cn] Member Chen Xiaohong: The Key to Achieving High-level Self-reliance and Self-improvement in Science and Technology Lies in a 16-Character Guideline

2026-03-09

The proposals for the 15th Five-Year Plan put forward "accelerating high-level self-reliance and self-improvement in science and technology to lead the development of new quality productive forces". How to understand the core strategic significance of this important deployment for China's economic and social development in the next five years? How to accelerate the achievement of high-level self-reliance and self-improvement in science and technology? Recently, Chen Xiaohong, Member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and Director of the Xiangjiang Laboratory, gave an exclusive interview to People.cn,

How to accelerate the achievement of high-level self-reliance and self-improvement in science and technology?

"This important arrangement is a strategic breakthrough to respond to global changes and seize the initiative in development; a fundamental path to promote high-quality development and transform growth drivers; and a strategic support to consolidate the foundation of modernization and improve people's well-being," Chen Xiaohong stated. It is essential to grasp the dialectical and unified relationship between high-level self-reliance and self-improvement in science and technology and the development of new quality productive forces, which are integrated and mutually reinforcing. The inherent logic of self-reliance and self-improvement in science and technology runs from basic research to applied research and then to technological development, while new quality productive forces follow the logic of industrial upgrading, demand upgrading and supply upgrading.

During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the key to achieving high-level self-reliance and self-improvement in science and technology lies in a 16-character guideline: laying a foundation with innovation, strengthening the core with talents, empowering with systems, and integrating industry and research. Specifically: 1. Take original innovation and breakthroughs in key core technologies as the foundation, tackle bottlenecks in high-end chips, industrial machine tools, basic software and other "chokepoint" fields, and consolidate the technological base for self-reliance and self-improvement in science and technology; 2. Support the integrated development of education, science and technology and talents, build a virtuous innovation ecosystem, and unlock the effectiveness of talents as the primary resource; 3. Guarantee progress with the new national system, and coordinate strategic scientific and technological forces with market innovation vitality; 4. Deepen the integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation, unblock the full chain from technological breakthroughs to productivity transformation, and realize a closed loop of innovation value.

How to promote the integrated development of education, science and technology and talents?

The coordinated development of education, science and technology, and talents as a "trinity" serves as the fundamental support for consolidating self-reliance and self-improvement in science and technology.

"The core is to build an ecosystem of 'laying a foundation with education, empowering with science and technology, and leading with talents', which plans from the overall national strategic perspective and targets key links with precise efforts," Chen Xiaohong noted. Efforts should focus on three aspects: 1. Break down coordination barriers through institutional reform, establish cross-departmental coordination mechanisms, and deepen the reform of evaluation systems; 2. Unblock the transformation chain through industry-education integration, align talent development with industries and teaching with practice, and accelerate the transformation of scientific and technological achievements; 3. Strengthen coordination efficiency through strategic planning, focus on joint research in "chokepoint" technological fields, and realize precise matching of talent cultivation, scientific and technological research and talent gathering. Coordination among the three will enable education to produce talents suited to scientific and technological research, make scientific and technological platforms a fertile ground for talent growth, and let talent value underpin innovation breakthroughs. This will eventually create a multiplier effect of "1+1+1 > 3" and lay a solid foundation for high-quality development.

How to build an open innovation ecosystem with global competitiveness?

"We must balance the dialectical relationship between independence and openness, take domestic innovation capacity as the foundation, firmly oppose the over-politicization of scientific and technological cooperation, and build a security line with clear rules," Chen Xiaohong pointed out. To build an open innovation ecosystem with global competitiveness, the core is to achieve a dynamic balance between high-level self-reliance and self-improvement and high-level openness, with the focus on three pillars: platforms, rules and factors.

First, strengthen institutional opening-up platforms. In the three international science and technology innovation centers piloting comprehensive innovation and opening-up zones, establish whitelists for the cros***order flow of scientific research materials and data. Upgrade platforms such as Belt and Road joint laboratories and international technology transfer centers, shift from scattered project cooperation to co-building innovation parks and leading major international science programs, and form innovation communities with shared benefits.

Second, consolidate a law-based and internationalized rule system. Define boundaries for scientific and technological cooperation through negative and positive lists to provide stable expectations for innovation entities. Strengthen full-chain intellectual property protection, establish cros***order rights protection assistance mechanisms, and improve rules for income distribution from achievement transformation. Take an active part in formulating international standards in artificial intelligence, biosafety and other fields, and translate mature domestic governance experience into international rule-making power.

Third, facilitate the circulation of global innovation factors. Implement a "talent circulation" program to attract overseas scholars for in-depth cooperation in China. Support leading enterprises to take the lead in forming international innovation consortia and pool global efforts to tackle "chokepoint" technologies. Guide financial institutions to develop financing product***ased on patent quality and innovation capacity, allowing patient capital to support the landing of high-quality global projects.