Xi Jinping calls for education overhaul to ramp up China’s tech ambitions

Name: ‘Two sessions’ 2025: key takeaways from Chinese premier’s work report to top legislature
Uploaded: 2025-03-06T14:11:36.000Z
Duration: 3 min 53 s
Description: ‘Two sessions’ 2025: key takeaways from Chinese premier’s work report to top legislature

Chinese president says training must be more responsive to the needs of economy and society

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Chinese President Xi Jinping says the education system is central to creating a virtuous cycle between fostering expertise and making scientific advances. Photo: Xinhua

Liu Zhen

Published: 10:11pm, 6 Mar 2025Updated: 2:03am, 7 Mar 2025

China’s education system needs to change to produce the scientific talent the country requires for its grand technology ambitions, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on the sidelines of the “two sessions” on Thursday.

Addressing education sector members of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, China’s top political advisory body, Xi said the education system had to help create a virtuous cycle between independent scientific innovation and development of expertise.

He highlighted the need for breakthroughs in basic and multidisciplinary science; joint innovation by universities, enterprises and local governments; and the practical application of scientific and technological achievements.

“It is a shared responsibility of the Communist Party and society as a whole to build a nation of strong education, strong science and technology and strong human resources,” he told the members.

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‘Two sessions’ 2025: key takeaways from Chinese premier’s work report to top legislature

China’s leaders have repeatedly focused on innovation in science and technology as well as professional development as an answer to growing pressure in high technology, especially to the ever-tightening sanctions in the “tech war” with the United States.