The National Science and Technology Conference, the National Science and Technology Award Conference, and the Academicians' Conference of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering were grandly held at the Great Hall of the People on the 24th. General Secretary Xi Jinping attended the conference and delivered an important speech, fully affirming the historic achievements made in China's scientific and technological innovation and development in recent years, profoundly summarizing the important experience of the development of science and technology undertakings in the new era, and pointing out the way forward for doing a good job in scientific and technological work in the new era.

Representatives attending the conference said that on the new journey, realizing high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-strengthening and building a strong country in science and technology is a glorious mission and a major responsibility. We must unite more closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, fully implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, further enhance the consciousness and firmness in doing a good job in scientific and technological work, seize the day and night, work hard, and step by step turn the strategic goal of building a strong country in science and technology into reality.

Historic achievements made and historic changes taken place in science and technology undertakings

In his important speech, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that "historic achievements have been made and historic changes have taken place in science and technology undertakings," which greatly inspired the representatives attending the conference.

"The Party's overall leadership over science and technology undertakings and the full play of the advantages of the new system of pooling national resources are the fundamental guarantee for China's science and technology undertakings to achieve leapfrog development." Having devoted himself to research in the field of remote sensing for most of his life, Academician Li Deren of Wuhan University, winner of the 2023 State Preeminent Science and Technology Award, deeply felt that on the new journey of the new era, General Secretary Xi Jinping's strategic planning for science and technology is more far-sighted, with a broader vision, a clearer direction, and clearer goals.

Academician Liu Zhengdong of the Chinese Academy of Engineering said that General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized "anchoring the strategic goal of building a strong country in science and technology by 2035 and strengthening top-level design and overall planning," which once again sounded the charge toward science and is even more inspiring and encouraging.

"Key and core technologies cannot be obtained by asking, bought, or begged for." Moved by General Secretary Xi Jinping's long-standing emphasis on scientific and technological self-reliance and self-strengthening, Academician Peng Shou, president of the China National Building Material Glass New Materials Research Institute, said that we must also adhere to the path of independent innovation with Chinese characteristics and strive to overcome more key technologies that fill domestic gaps and break foreign monopolies.

Seize the commanding heights of scientific and technological competition and future development

"What the General Secretary said about 'seizing the commanding heights of scientific and technological competition and future development' is very crucial!" Academician Xue Qikun of Tsinghua University, winner of the 2023 State Preeminent Science and Technology Award, deeply agreed with the important thesis in General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech.

First experimental observation of the quantum anomalous Hall effect, first discovery of high-temperature superconductivity at heterojunction interfaces... Xue Qikun led his team to achieve a number of leading important scientific breakthroughs in the field of quantum science research.

"China's basic research is in the best stage of development in history." Xue Qikun said, "In the scientific territories that humanity has not yet opened up, Chinese scientists have great prospects. We must continue to seize major scientific research opportunities and focus on tackling major frontier issues in quantum science and technology."

"There are still some shortcomings and weaknesses in the development of China's science and technology undertakings, and we must further enhance our sense of urgency." General Secretary Xi Jinping's sober assessment of the accelerated evolution of major changes unseen in a century and his keen insight into international strategic games made the representatives realize that the situation is pressing and the mission is major.

In Huaibei, Anhui, the world's largest ethanol production facility is located, with an annual output of up to 600,000 tons, opening up a new route for clean and efficient utilization of coal.

"Adhering to innovation-led development, leading high-quality development with scientific and technological innovation, and safeguarding high-level security are important experience continuously accumulated in the development of science and technology undertakings in the new era, and also constantly enriched scientific practice." Academician Liu Zhongmin, technical leader of the facility and director of the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that in the future, we must continue to adhere to the strategic orientation of the "four orientations," continue to accelerate breakthroughs in key and core technologies and the transformation of achievements, and help safeguard national energy security and the realization of the "dual carbon" goals.

"Fish and other aquatic products are important sources of animal protein in daily life. At present, China's aquaculture sector still has bottleneck problems such as a low improved variety rate and a high proportion of imported feed grain that urgently need to be solved." Academician Gui Jianfang, a researcher at the Institute of Hydrobiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that next they will seize the scientific and technological commanding heights of efficient supply of high-quality protein and provide technical support for revitalizing the aquaculture seed industry and developing new quality productive forces.

Stimulate the vitality of scientific and technological innovation through deepening reform

"Promote the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation," "increase the supply of high-quality science and technology," "promote enterprise-led collaborative innovation of industry, academia, and research"... General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech brought new inspiration to Wang Difang, director of the Jing-Jin-Ji National Center of Technology Innovation.

As China's **comprehensive national center of technology innovation, the Jing-Jin-Ji National Center of Technology Innovation has, over more than three years since its establishment, focused on disruptive technologies with the strongest "engine" effect and discovered and cultivated a number of landmark innovation achievements.

"We will take General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech as the fundamental guideline, continuously improve the organization model and operating mechanism of scientific and technological breakthroughs, and set an example for opening up new winning tracks, seizing the strategic commanding heights of science and technology, and developing new quality productive forces." Wang Difang said.

"Only by comprehensively deepening the reform of scientific and technological systems and mechanisms can we accelerate the gathering of innovation resources." Feng Yanfei, director of the Hubei Provincial Department of Science and Technology, said that by improving the regional scientific and technological innovation layout, multiple major scientific and technological infrastructure facilities and national centers of technology innovation have successively settled in Hubei, the scientific and technological innovation supply chain platform is being accelerated, and the innovation vitality supporting the rise of the central region is fully stimulated.

"The General Secretary's important speech has both far-sighted strategic layout and a 'road map' and 'task book' for reform breakthroughs." Zhang Jihong, director of the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission and the Zhongguancun Administrative Committee, said that we must advance scientific and technological innovation, industrial innovation, and institutional innovation in an integrated manner, continue to carry out organized and systematic transformation of scientific and technological achievements, actively create an open innovation ecosystem with global competitiveness, and strive to build Beijing into a source of world scientific frontiers and emerging industry technological innovation and a gathering place for global innovation factors as soon as possible.

Academician Wu Yirong, director of the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, carefully noted General Secretary Xi Jinping's mention of "deepening the integrated reform of the systems and mechanisms for education, science and technology, and talent."

"Talent is the core of scientific and technological innovation." Wu Yirong said, "By implementing measures such as the young talent training plan and establishing special subsidies for young talent, we continue to strengthen the reserve of high-quality scientific and technological innovation talent and accelerate the building of national strategic talent forces."

Scientific achievements cannot be separated from spiritual support. The spirit of scientists forged by generations is guiding scientific and technological workers in the new era to aim high, love the country and make contributions, and be committed to innovation.

Having taken root in the border region for 39 years, Lu Zhanyuan, president of the Inner Mongolia Academy of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Sciences, led his team to continuously tackle the protection and scientific utilization of cultivated land in farming-pastoral ecotones and won the second prize of the 2023 National Science and Technology Progress Award.

"Agricultural research cannot be separated from a sentiment of caring for the country, persistent patience, and a spirit of courageous dedication." Lu Zhanyuan said, "We will certainly keep in mind the General Secretary's entrustment and strive in unity to comprehensively advance the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese-style modernization!"