NPC and CPPCC Sessions 2006

Minister Xu Guanhua of Science and Technology said Friday that China must maintain an annual growth rate of 7 percent for 40 years in order to meet the target of building a moderately prosperous society across the country by 2020.

The time span he mentioned is between the late of 1970s, when China began its reform and opening up, and 2020, which is the last year that China must fulfill its goal of building a well-off society in an all-round way.

Addressing the news conference on building an innovation-oriented country on the sidelines of the ongoing Fourth Session ofthe Tenth National People's Congress, (NPC), China's parliament, Xu said "if we can maintain an investment rate of 40 percent from now on, the contribution rate of science and technology to GDP growth is slated to hit 60 percent from the current 39 percent.

"Otherwise, it is not possible for us to meet the target of quadrupling the current per capita GDP by the year 2020."

"Our per capita supply of energy, water and land resources is becoming more stringent and the problems of resources and environment are becoming increasingly pressing after all these years of economic development," Xu said.

Only by promoting scientific and technological development can China solve all these problems, he noted.

According to Xu, Chinese enterprises are under increasing pressure from international competition as they become more deeply involved in the globalization process of the world economy.

Xu also cited an example at the news conference to illustrate the importance of building an innovation-oriented society.

He said Chinese enterprises have to pay high patent fees for some key technologies. 20 percent of a mobile phone's price, 30 percent of a computer's price and 40 percent of the price of a program-controlled digital machine tool have to be ceded to foreign patents' owners.

China confident of becoming innovation-oriented country by 2020

China is confident of becoming an innovation-oriented country by 2020 despite many arduous tasks ahead, Minister of Science and Technology Xu Guanhua said in Beijing Friday.

"In 2001, China ranked the 28th in 49 major countries in terms of comprehensive scientific and technological innovation capability," Xu said at a press conference. "We have to move 10 places ahead and enter the ranks of the first 20 before we can say that we have succeeded in achieving our target."

Four ministries hold press conference on building innovation-oriented country