Modern technological development should not only depend on colleges and research institutions, but also more towards citizen science, as well as the combination with economy, politics, society, and ecosystem etc., said the newly appointed Minister of Science and Technology Wang Zhigang, on Monday at the “Ministers’ Corridor” on the sidelines of the annual session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC).

Wang said it is not easy to balance advancement in technology with economic development, but technology and science is the foundation supporting China to become stronger, and can help boost social development, improve people’s lives, and safeguard national security.

The minister also said that technology is the main driving force for manufacturing, and innovation is the driving force for development. It is also essential to achieve modernization.

"To build an innovation-driven country, we should look at the bigger picture. We should think of the five-in-one integrated plan, the four-pronged comprehensive strategy. We should bring all these together to guide our work. We also should think about how China can play a greater role and make a greater contribution to global innovation and technological development," he said.

Wang also mentioned the importance of China's contribution to the world in the technological and scientific fields.