China to deepen reform in education, sci-tech and talent development

China will deepen comprehensive reform in education, deepen structural scientific and technological reform, and deepen institutional reforms for talent development, an official said Friday.

Huai Jinpeng, minister of education, made the remarks at a press conference on the guiding principles from the just-concluded third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

"We must regard science and technology as our primary productive force, talent as our primary resource and innovation as our primary driver of growth. Scientific and technological innovation depends on talent, and talent cultivation depends on education. A new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is deepening, and international competition surrounding high-quality talent and cutting-edge technology is fiercer than ever. This urgently requires us to take the path of independent cultivation of talent and achieve high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement," said Huai.

China will accelerate building a high-quality education system, promote the reform and innovation of integrating ideological and political theory courses in primary, secondary and tertiary schools, enhance the ability of teachers to teach and educate, and effectively utilize world-class educational resources and innovation elements to promote high-level education opening up, he added. 

Efforts will be made to deepen structural scientific and technological reform, including optimizing the mechanisms of major scientific and technological innovation, strengthening the forward-looking and leading layout of basic research fields, emerging interdisciplinary fields and key fields, integrating scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation and establishing a sci-tech financial system compatible with scientific and technological innovation, Huai said. 

The country will improve the mechanism for talent cultivation, accelerate the build-up of a national strategic talent force and establish a talent evaluation system guided by innovation ability, quality, effectiveness and contribution to foster a good environment for talent, he added.