It is crucial to harness the pivotal role of universities and leveraging them as a cornerstone in driving innovation, said Gao Song, a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, on Monday.

Gao, who is also the president of Sun Yat-sen University, said he advocated for an increase in stable support for basic research in research-oriented universities last year and optimizing the management of competitive funds this year, aiming to better incentivize researchers and their institutions.

He said having young researchers to participate in high-level researches is one of the key approaches to nurture creativity.