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President Xi Jinping on Wednesday presented China's highest scientific honour to a lithium battery pioneer and a military radar expert, while urging the country's scientists and engineers to make China a leading power in science and technology by 2035. The ceremony, held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, underscored Beijing's push to bolster its global competitiveness amid intensifying tech rivalry.Xi stressed the need to accelerate high-level scientific and technological self-reliance, describing the 2026-2030 period as critical for building a tech powerhouse. He called on the scientific community to "seize historical opportunities" and rise to the challenges of the times.
Coverage comparison
The South China Morning Post reported that Xi used the occasion to call for stronger efforts to draw overseas talent and address flaws in China's innovation ecosystem. The newspaper quoted Xi as acknowledging that China's tech sector still suffered from "insufficient original innovation capability in certain fields, an irrational talent structure, and low efficiency in tech investment," alongside institutional bottlenecks.The Hindu, citing state-run Xinhua news agency, reported that Xi asked scientists and engineers to make steady progress toward the 2035 goal of becoming a leading country in science and technology. The Indian newspaper noted that China has made big strides in frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), electric vehicles (EVs), and battery technology, aided by massive state support, a huge domestic market, strong manufacturing capabilities, and a large pool of engineers.
Both outlets reported that Xi presented the State Pre-eminent Science and Technology Award to Chen Liquan and Ben De, with each laureate receiving 5 million yuan (about US$736,000) in prize money, according to the South China Morning Post.
The South China Morning Post highlighted Xi's linkage of the domestic push to shifting global power dynamics, quoting him as saying that "technological strength and innovation capability have increasingly become a nation's core competitiveness." The Hindu emphasised China's aim to become the world's leading AI innovation centre, made a national strategic priority with heavy government investment in research, computing infrastructure, semiconductor development, and talent cultivation.
Key claims
- Xi presented China's highest scientific honour to Chen Liquan and Ben De at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Chen was recognised for developing the country's first lithium battery and helping to launch the industrialisation of the technology. Ben De led the development of China's first airborne pulse-Doppler fire-control radar, a core sensor for fighter aircraft, and was honoured for his contributions to national defence and security.
- Xi called for stronger efforts to draw overseas talent and address flaws in China's innovation ecosystem, including "insufficient original innovation capability in certain fields, an irrational talent structure, and low efficiency in tech investment."
- Xi described the 2026-2030 period as critical for building a tech powerhouse, urging breakthrough innovation to drive Chinese modernisation.
- Xi linked the domestic push to shifting global power dynamics, saying that technological strength and innovation capability have become a nation's core competitiveness.
- Xi called for accelerating high-level scientific and technological self-reliance, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence, which he said presented a "pressing" situation.
- China aims to become the world's leading AI innovation centre, with AI made a national strategic priority.