Chinese President Xi Jinping set the target of China becoming a leading power in science and technology (S&T) by the middle of this century as he addressed a major S&T conference on Monday.

China should establish itself as one of the most innovative countries by 2020 and a leading innovator by 2030 before realizing the objective of becoming a world-leading S&T power by the centenary anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in 2049, Xi said.

He made the remarks at an event conflating the national conference on S&T, the biennial conference of the country's two top think tanks -- the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering, and the national congress of the China Association for Science and Technology.

Xi stressed the role of S&T as a bedrock upon which "the country relies for its power, enterprises rely for victories, and people rely for a better life."

"Great scientific and technological capacity is a must for China to be strong and for people's lives to improve", he said, calling for new ideas, designs, and strategies in science and tech.

The conference, chaired by Premier Li Keqiang, was also attended by senior leaders Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Liu Yunshan and Wang Qishan.

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