Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a visit to a chip research institute on Friday, during his inspection to Shijiazhuang, capital of north China's Hebei Province.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, learned about the research and development of the institute, which is operated by China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC).

The institute has been doing research on semiconductors since 1956, creating more than 60 nation-leading products.

Major products of the institute include solid-state microwave generators, electronic ceramics and silicon carbide semiconductors, which are applied to China's manned space program, lunar and Mars exploration, BeiDou satellite nagivation and digital industries like 5G equipment, electric vehicle and optical communication.

CETC is a major supplier of high-end and critical electronic parts in China, according to a report from China Media Group (CMG). 

It is the only large-scale technology corporation in China to cover all fields in electronics and information technology, according to the CETC official website. In the fields of defense electronics, security electronics and informatization, its market covers more than 110 countries and regions.