China is striving to build its capital Beijing into a global sci-tech innovation hub by 2025, said senior officials on Wednesday.

The city's creativity, competitiveness and influence in innovation are expected to reach the top level globally as of 2035, said Vice Mayor Jin Wei at a press conference held by China's State Council Information Office (SCIO).

It is a strategic move to improve the country's national strategic strength in science and technology during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), said Li Meng, vice-minister of science and technology. China has pledged to support the building of international science and technology innovation centers in Beijing, Shanghai, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, according to the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee's development proposals. 

Li said the ministry and the Beijing municipal government have coordinated with 21 departments, including the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, to roll out an action plan for the construction of Beijing international sci-tech innovation hub. China will further support national laboratories in Beijing and establish an innovation center for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

Efforts will be made to foster basic research and promote key and core technologies in frontier areas, including quantum information, artificial intelligence, blockchain and health, according to Li. Beijing will improve its governance system for science and technology, stimulate the creativity of talents and build up influence through sci-tech cooperation, Li said. 

"Beijing will be further integrated into the global innovation network through setting up global scientific research funds and strengthening joint research on global issues including climate change, energy, public health and artificial intelligence governance," Li said. "Beijing has abundant innovation resources, with over 90 universities, 1,000 scientific research institutes and nearly 30,000 state-level high-tech enterprises. Around 128 state key laboratories are located in Beijing," Li added.

(Cover: Beijing is going to be built into a global innovation hub. /CFP)