Xi Jinping Champions Technological Sovereignty During Landmark Visit to Hefei’s Science Hub

During his visit to the science hub of Hefei, a city that has transformed from poverty to a center of innovation, China's President Xi Jinping emphasized the importance of advancing high-tech development through self-reliance, stating that such progress cannot simply be asked for.

"Science and technology are crucial in propelling China's unique form of modernization, with technological innovation serving as the essential route," Xi stated on his Thursday visit to Hefei Binhu Science City, a leading research and innovation center in the capital of Anhui province.

"Advanced technological development cannot simply be requested; we have to fast-track achieving high-level technological independence and self-enhancement," the state news agency Xinhua reported Xi as stating during his visit, which occurred as a segment of an inspection tour in the province.

Xi also encouraged Anhui to further develop its position as a key center for technological innovation, a focal point for new industries, a leading area for reform and opening up, and as a region committed to a holistic green transformation in its economic and social development.

Xi's comments arrive at a time when China is intensifying its focus on technological development, aligning with a strategic move towards what it terms "new quality productive forces," shifting away from its traditional export-driven growth model, amidst an ongoing technology conflict with the United States that aims to limit China's access to high-tech resources.