While addressing more than 2,000 science and technology elites from all parts of the nation on January 9, 2006; Chinese President Hu Jintao said that China’s scientific and technological development goal for the next 15 years is to build an innovation-oriented country by 2020. By this time, scientific and technological advances will have become a powerful support for the economy and society.

In his opening speech at the national science and technology conference, Hu spelt out the standards for an innovation-oriented country: enhancing science and technology as the means to promote social and economic development, and guarantee national security; boosting strength in basic sciences and primary studies; and a holding number of globally influential scientific and technological achievements.