The journal Qiushi has published an important article by General Secretary Xi Jinping.
Speech at the Symposium on Strengthening Basic Research

2026-09-15 Source: “Study in China” Learning Platform

BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) — The 18th issue of the journal Qiushi, to be published on September 16, will feature an important article by Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President of the People’s Republic of China, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, entitled “Speech at the Symposium on Strengthening Basic Research.”

The article emphasizes that basic research is the source of the entire scientific system, the central hub for addressing all technological challenges, and the forefront of global scientific and technological competition. An important criterion for assessing a country’s scientific and technological strength is its level of basic research. To become a world leader in science and technology, we must elevate our capacity for basic research. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee has attached great importance to basic research, significantly advancing its quality and impact through optimizing research planning, increasing funding support, and innovating institutional mechanisms. At the same time, it is clear that, compared with leading scientific and technological powers, China still lags behind in this critical area. We must strengthen our sense of crisis and urgency, intensify efforts with more robust measures, bolster basic research, enhance our capacity for original innovation, further consolidate the foundations for building a strong science and technology nation, and accelerate progress toward high‑level self-reliance and self‑strengthening in science and technology.

The article points out that it is essential to optimize the systemic layout of basic research. As we enter the era of big science, the organizational complexity of basic research continues to grow, necessitating strengthened overall planning and top-level design to accelerate the development of a strategic, forward-looking, and systematic framework. We must stay firmly aligned with our objectives, uphold the “four orientations” as our strategic guiding principle, and, based on both the nation’s pressing needs and its long-term priorities, further clarify the key directions and priority areas for basic research. We should enhance coordination among diverse stakeholders, leverage the advantages of the new national system, and reinforce the leading roles of national laboratories, national research institutions, and high‑level research universities. At the same time, we should encourage and regulate the development of new types of R&D institutions, promote deep integration among industry, academia, and research under enterprise leadership, and ensure seamless connectivity across the innovation chain—from basic research and applied development to the commercialization of results. Furthermore, we need to refine the disciplinary landscape, improve mechanisms for adjusting and optimizing discipline offerings, strengthen foundational disciplines, foster coordinated development between applied and basic disciplines, and encourage multidisciplinary convergence and cross‑disciplinary research.

The article emphasizes the need to strengthen the talent pool for basic research. Ultimately, basic research depends on high-caliber personnel. We must advance the integrated development of education, science and technology, and talent, ensuring comprehensive efforts in training, attracting, and deploying researchers, so as to build a workforce that is both ample in number, distinguished in quality, and well‑structured. We should focus on elevating the quality of domestically cultivated talent, adhering to the principles governing talent development, and comprehensively improving educational standards to continuously nurture a steady stream of future leaders in basic research. At the same time, we will refine mechanisms for collaborative education between science and academia, placing particular emphasis on identifying and cultivating top‑tier talent at the forefront of scientific inquiry. We will provide robust support to young researchers, adopting a mission‑driven approach and pairing experienced mentors with emerging scholars, thereby paving the way for the growth and success of young scientists. Furthermore, we will foster a positive environment, continually enhancing the working and living conditions of basic‑research personnel, vigorously promoting the spirit of science, and inspiring curiosity, imagination, and a thirst for discovery among young people, so that dedicating oneself to basic research becomes a lifelong aspiration for an ever‑greater number of youth.

The article emphasizes the need to strengthen support and safeguards for basic research. It calls for boldly dismantling ideological barriers and institutional constraints, ensuring long-term, stable funding and robust policy support for this critical area. Efforts should include increasing financial investment, gradually raising the share of funding allocated to basic research, further diversifying funding channels to foster a multi‑pronged investment framework, and enhancing the effectiveness of science‑fund grants. Research conditions must be optimized through systematic planning and construction of major scientific and technological infrastructure, bolstering national scientific data centers, accelerating the development of world‑class scientific journals, and leveraging artificial intelligence to empower basic research while building intelligent research‑platform systems. The reform of the science and technology system should be deepened by establishing a classification‑based evaluation system tailored to the characteristics of basic research, refining incentive mechanisms, and overhauling research management practices. Finally, the research ecosystem must be purified by cultivating an open, inclusive environment that tolerates failure, strengthening integrity in scientific conduct, and resolutely combating corruption in research.

The article emphasizes the need to expand international cooperation in basic research. It calls for proactively integrating into the global innovation network and enhancing original innovation capacity through open collaboration. Efforts should be deepened to strengthen both governmental and non-governmental exchanges and cooperation in basic research, with joint efforts undertaken with countries worldwide to tackle major scientific challenges such as climate change, energy and the environment, and life and health. Furthermore, the country should intensify the openness of its national science and technology programs, take the lead in initiating and participating in major international scientific programs and projects, and actively engage in global science and technology governance.

The article emphasizes that strengthening basic research requires the concerted efforts of the entire Party and society. Party committees and governments at all levels must intensify policy support, provide robust services and safeguards, and ensure that the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee are effectively implemented.

Editor-in-charge: Li Junbo