Decades of uneven development between China's urban and rural areas and between its eastern and western regions will be relegated to history thanks to the achievements made during the 13th Five Year Plan period (2016-2020).

This period is sure to be remembered as a glorious chapter in the development epic of contemporary China.

Over the past five years, focusing on the principal contradiction facing Chinese society between the people's ever-growing needs for a better life and unbalanced and inadequate development, China has gone all out to build a moderately prosperous society in all aspects.

From the modern skyscrapers of Beijing and Shanghai to the remote mountain villages of southwest China’s Guizhou province, from northeast China looking to revitalize its economy to the deserts of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region being turned into fertile fields, the production levels and living standards in counties and villages and the less developed western region are catching up with those in more-developed eastern metropolises at an ever-faster pace.

Behind the huge transformation during this period, scientific and technological innovations have undoubtedly been the main driving force.

The popularization of high-speed railways and logistics services have made resource allocation more efficient. Ultra-high voltage, new energy and electric vehicles have been embraced on a large scale, and an energy plan treating electricity as a viable alternative has started to take shape. E-commerce, e-payment and artificial intelligence have greatly transformed Chinese people’s lives.

The sci-tech innovations, coming mainly from independent efforts, are also supported by opening-up and cooperation.

Even the strongest of civilizations cannot advance without inclusiveness. In today's globalized world, exchanging sci-tech achievements with other countries has long been recognized as beneficial. Through opening-up and collaboration, China’s 13th Five-Year Plan has yielded even more eye-catching achievements. The establishment of a new, “dual-circulation” development paradigm, whereby domestic and international circulations reinforce each other, will further inspire the Chinese people to resolutely promote even greater levels of opening-up.
    
China's opening-up and cooperation with other countries also reflect the importance the country puts in the shared future for mankind, especially amid the global economic slowdown caused by COVID-19.

In recent years, however, some countries have followed the path of isolation and protectionism, smeared China’s intentions for conducting international sci-tech exchanges, and stirred up turbulence in international relations driven on by selfish interests, thereby distorting the positive influences of openness and cooperation.

In spite of this, China will continue its sci-tech opening-up and cooperation in an honest manner to deliver benefits to both itself and the rest of the world.


Content created in partnership with Science and Technology Daily.

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