Chinese President Xi Jinping called for elevating the country's industries to the medium-high end of the global value chain on Monday, adding that China must independently master "key and core technologies."

President Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the 19th Academician Conference of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the 14th Academician Conference of the Chinese Academy of Engineering in Beijing.

He stressed that China must aim at the forefront of the cutting-edge science and technology, seize the initiative to innovate, and develop the nation into a major power in science and technology.

The opening ceremony was also attended by Li Keqiang, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau and Chinese premier, Wang Huning, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau and secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, and Han Zheng, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau and Chinese vice premier, as well as over 1,300 academicians.

China must make great efforts in the field of science and technology in order to achieve national rejuvenation, Xi noted, saying that the country must strive to become a major center of science and highland of innovation in the world.

"The circumstances are pressing, the challenges are pressing, and the missions are pressing," said Xi, who urged Chinese academicians to grasp the main trends, seize opportunities, face problems squarely, and rise to challenges.

The world has been witnessing unprecedentedly intensive and active innovations in science and technology since the beginning of the 21st century, and the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial revolution are restructuring the world map of innovation and reshaping the world economic order, according to the Chinese president.

Science and technology are influencing a nation's destiny and its people's well-being like never before, he added.

Xi stressed that innovation is the most important driving force for building a modernized economic system.

To move Chinese industries up to the medium-high end of the global value chain, the country must promote integrated development of digitalization, networking and intelligentization, foster a number of strategic emerging industries, integrate Internet, big data and artificial intelligence (AI) with the real economy, and transform the way of how manufacturing industries and enterprises are organized, according to Xi. 

He encouraged Chinese scientists to make innovations in cutting-edge and disruptive technologies.

China's strategic emerging industries include information technology, bio-industry, green and low-carbon industry, high-end manufacturing, and digital and creative industry.

Xi also called for further reform and opening up to facilitate the country's scientific and technological development. 

He pledged that China would actively engage in global scientific and technological governance and work together with the international community to address challenges faced by mankind such as future development, food security, energy security, health of mankind and climate change.