TIANJIN -- The number of national high-tech industrial zones in China has increased to 156, with operating revenue hitting 27.9 trillion yuan ($4 trillion) in 2016.

The high-tech zones accounted for 11.7 percent of China's GDP in 2016 and made up for 18 percent of China's total exports, according to Zhang Zhihong, director of Torch High Technology Industry Development Center, Ministry of Science & Technology.

"The high-tech zones have become a major engine to China's economic growth," Zhang said. "Nearly 4,300 spaces provided services for more than 120,000 enterprises in 2016, attracting investment of 5.5 billion yuan."

Zhang said that high-tech zones should pay more attention to strategic emerging industries as well as scientific and technical industries, adding that enterprises, research institutes, universities and innovators would also be encouraged to collaborate on independent innovation.