China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations need to further cooperation on technology innovation to better face global challenges and realize sustainable development, Premier Li Keqiang said.

Li made the remark as he sent a congratulatory message to the launching ceremony of the China-ASEAN Year of Innovation on Thursday. The ceremony, along with the China-ASEAN innovation forum, opened in Beijing on Thursday.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the China-ASEAN strategic partnership and also the China-ASEAN Year of Innovation

Currently, the new round of technological and industrial revolution is sweeping across the world, and technology innovation is playing an increasingly supporting and guiding role in social and economic development, Li said in the message. He said China is implementing the innovation driven strategy for development and to boost entrepreneurship to nurture new driving forces of the economy and push forward economic upgrading.

China and the ASEAN in recent years have achieved a series of cooperation outcomes in technological communication and building laboratories as well as science parks, he said, and the two sides should take this year as an opportunity to push forward technological innovation cooperation to inject new impetus into China-ASEAN cooperation as well as to East Asia regional development.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who is concluding his five-day working visit to China on Thursday, also sent a congratulatory message to the ceremony.