China will support potent private enterprises in leading major national scientific and technological initiatives and the country will further open up major scientific research facilities to them, the country's top economic planner said on Thursday.
The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) held a conference on Thursday in Chengdu, the provincial capital of Sichuan in the southwest, to promote the high-quality development of the private economy.
At the event, the NDRC officials emphasized that, in terms of major policies, it will collaborate with relevant departments to enhance the accessibility of critical research instruments and facilities to private companies.
This initiative aims to facilitate the transfer and transformation of talents and technological achievements from universities and research institutions to enterprises, the NDRC said.
The NDRC plans to reform the organization of major innovation projects, encouraging firms with strong research and development capabilities to take the lead, and fostering deep integration of industry, universities and research institutes led by enterprises.
It said it will give priority to innovative companies which lead the construction of national emerging industry innovation centers and industrial technology engineering centers, thereby nurturing leading high-tech enterprises in the sector.
In terms of engineering projects, the NDRC will support the intelligent upgrade of corporate research equipment and strengthen their foundation for innovation capabilities through a program to implement major national strategies and build safety capacity in key areas.
"We will support capable private enterprises to shoulder major national missions to make sci-tech breakthroughs, and further open large national scientific facilities to them. We will support diversified basic research subjects and guide qualified private enterprises to engage in high-risk, high-value technological research," said Zheng Bei, deputy head of the NDRC.
China encourages private businesses to pioneer major sci-tech projects
The 2024 Global Ocean Development Forum opened Thursday in Qingdao City of east China's Shandong Province, bringing together 667 representatives from 41 countries and regions to foster greater collaboration in marine science and economic development.
The two-day hybrid event, themed "Let's 'sea' our futures – promoting blue partnerships for growth and sustainability," features 12 thematic sessions covering topics such as marine biotechnology, deep-sea resources, marine disaster control, port and shipping industries, marine technology, blue finance, low-carbon marine economy, and marine ecological protection.
Complementing the forum are four concurrent events: the Shandong Marine Development Achievement Exhibition, the East Asia Marine Expo, the World's Most Beautiful Bays Photography Exhibition, and the Asia-Pacific Robot World Cup International Invitational.
The opening ceremony saw the release of the 2024 China Ocean Development Index Report and the 2024 Ocean Development Forum Qingdao Initiative, along with the signing of 30 key marine projects for Shandong.
The coastal city of Qingdao, home to China's only comprehensive international cooperation center dedicated to the UN Decade of Ocean Science, plays a vital role in advancing ocean research.
"Qingdao is playing a very important role, because you have a huge investment here in the UN Decade of Ocean Science. We're halfway through that decade now. We can see now that there is more attention being paid, more resources being put into ocean science than ever before in human history. And a large part of that is due to the UN Decade of Ocean Science. So, congratulations to Qingdao for supporting the [UN] Decade so strongly," said Peter Thomson, UN Secretary General's Special Envoy for the Ocean.
A highlight of the forum is an exhibition showcasing cutting-edge marine technologies from China and around the world, covering advancements in marine engineering equipment, resource utilization, and environmental protection.
The forum emphasizes international cooperation while also highlighting China's contributions to sustainable ocean development and climate change solutions.
"China has made a major scientific breakthrough in ocean climate prediction, enhancing its accuracy by about 50 percent. This has drawn global attention and is being used by many developed countries to improve their prediction capabilities, contributing to global climate resilience," said Qiao Fangli, Deputy Director General of First Institute of Oceanography under Ministry of Natural Resources of China.
As discussions unfold, the forum emerges as a key platform for shaping the future of ocean governance and showcasing China's expanding role in maritime endeavors.
The 2024 China Ocean Development Index Report provides a comprehensive quantitative assessment of China's marine development over a specified period, covering aspects such as economic livelihood, technological innovation, ecological environment, resource utilization, openness, and comprehensive management.
According to the report, from 2016 to 2023, China's marine development index grew at an average annual rate of 2.9 percent, reaching 125.3 in 2023, an increase of 3 percent from 2022. This indicates solid progress in high-quality marine development and ongoing achievements in building a marine powerhouse.
2024 Global Ocean Development Forum opens in Qingdao
