I. Overview of the Congress
The 10th National Congress of China Association for Science and Technology was held in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing from May 28 to May 30, 2021. This congress, held at the same time as the Academicians of the General Assembly, was an important event when the world’s unprecedented changes accelerated and our country fully opened a new journey of building a modernized socialist country. General Secretary Xi Jinping attended the first plenary session and delivered an important speech, Premier Li Keqiang attended the second plenary session and delivered an important address, Comrade Wang Huning attended the third plenary session and delivered a speech on behalf of the Party Central Committee. Wang Zhigang, the Minister of Science and Technology, and Chen Gang, the First Secretary of the Secretariat of the National Federation of Trade Unions, delivered speeches on behalf of the scientific and technological community and people’s group respectively.
The theme of the Congress was: To insist on the guidance of Xi Jinping’s thought of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, to thoroughly implement the spirit of the 19th CPC National Congress and the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Plenary Sessions of the 19th CPC Central Committee, to comprehensively enhance the political, advanced and mass nature, to implement the new development concept on the basis of the new development stage, to build a new development pattern and to unswervingly follow the path of development of socialist groups with Chinese characteristics. And to adhere to the world’s scientific and technological frontier, the main battlefield of the economy, the major needs of the country and the life and health of the people, to play the role of strategic support for self-reliance and self-improvement on science and technology, to deepen the construction of the open, hub and platform organizations, insist on serving science and technology workers, innovation-driven development, improve the quality of science for all people, serve the scientific decision-making of the Party and the government and the building of a community of human destiny, unit and lead the scientific and technological workers to follow the Party. To make greater contributions to the high-quality development of science and technology and the comprehensive construction of a modern socialist country.
The main agenda of the congress was: The leading comrades of the Central Committee making important speeches, deliberating the Work Report of the Ninth National Committee of China Association for Science and Technology, Articles of association of China Association for Science and Technology (Draft Revision) and “Development of China Association for science and technology, the 14th Five-Year Plan”(2021-2025)(Draft), electing the new leading body of China Association for Science and Technology, organizing the visit for delegates to the exhibition “All Hearts to the Party, Being Self-reliance and Self-improvement--The Scientists under the Leadership of the Party”, inviting academicians Zhong Nanshan and Qi Faren to make reports on the spirit of the scientists for the delegates of the conference, and issuing the Initiative on the Action of “Being Self-reliance and Innovative” for science and technology workers nationwide.
The 1,389 official delegates from 49 delegations performed their duties in accordance with the law and the rules in a highly responsible spirit, promoting democracy and drawing on collective wisdom. On the Congress, the speeches of the leading comrades of the Central Committee were carefully studied, the members of the “Tenth National Committee” of China Association for Science and Technology, the Chairman, the Vice Chairman and Standing Committee were elected, and the resolution on the report on the work of the Ninth National Committee of China Association for Science and Technology, the Articles of China Association for Science and Technology, and the “14th Five-Year Plan” (2021-2025) of China Association for Science and Technology Development , and the initiative on “Self-reliance and Innovation” were adopted, and all the scheduled tasks were successfully completed.
Ⅱ. The Main Spirit of the Important Speeches of the Central Authority Leaders
1. General Secretary Xi Jinping's important address
On the morning of May 28, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President of the People's Republic of China and Chairman of the Central Military Commission of PRC, attended the National Congress and delivered an important speech, stressing the importance of adhering to the self-reliance and self-improvement on science and technology as a strategic support for national development, taking hold in a new development stage, implementing the new development concept, building a new development pattern and promoting high-quality development to face the world’s scientific and technological frontier, the main battlefield of the economy, the major needs of the country and people’ s health. Besides, he also stressed the in-depth implementation of science and education strategy, talent strategy, innovation-driven development strategy, and that we should pay close attention to the situation, seize the first opportunity, face the problems and the difficulties, improve the national innovation system, accelerate the construction of scientific and technological power, and achieve a high level of sci-tech self-sufficiency and self-improvement.
Xi Jinping pointed out that the time that we held 20th Academician Conference of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the 15th Academician Conference of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the 10th National Congress of China Association for Science and Technology was an important moment for us to discuss and promote the innovation of science and technology in China at the historical intersection of the “Two centenary goals” and the opening of a new journey of building a comprehensive socialist modern country. Xi Jinping, on behalf of the Party Central Committee, extended great congratulations to the convening of the Congress and sincere condolences to the hard-working science and technology workers in various positions. As May 30 was the fifth National Science and Technology Workers’ Day, Xi Jinping sent holiday greetings to the vast number of workers across the country.
Xi Jinping stressed that in all historical periods of revolution, construction, and reform, the Party attached great importance to the cause of science and technology, and the cause always played a very important strategic role in the party and people’s cause. Since the 19th CPC National Congress, the Party Central Committee had comprehensively analyzed the international competition in science and technology innovation, thoroughly studied the development at home and abroad, insisted on placing science and technology innovation at the core of the overall development of the country, and comprehensively planned the work of science and technology innovation. We had been adhering to the Party’s overall leadership of the science and technology cause, viewing the general situation, planning the overall situation, attaching importance on the fundamentals, and forming an efficient organizational mobilization system and a coordinated allocation model of science and technology resources. We also had been firmly focusing on the strategic goal of building a world’s science and technology powerhouse, and seizing the opportunity to develop global science and technology with a sense of mission, responsibility and urgency, and striving to be the first in the basic frontier areas. We had been giving full play to the leading role of scientific and technological innovation, striving to make new breakthroughs in original innovation and achieving leapfrog development in important fields of science and technology, and comprehensively deploying the reform of science and technology innovation system and introducing a series of major reform initiatives to enhance the overall effectiveness of the national innovation system. We had been focusing on implementing the strategy of strengthening the country with talents, gathering talents from all over the world and fully stimulating the enthusiasm, initiative and creativity of the majority of scientific and technological personnel, expanding openness and cooperation in the field of science and technology, actively participating in solving the major challenges that the people faced, and striving to promote the achievements of science and technology innovation to benefit more countries and people.
Xi Jinping pointed out that in the past few years, under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee and with the joint efforts of the national science and technology community and all sectors of society, China’s scientific and technological strength was from the accumulation of quantity to a qualitative leap, from the point of breakthrough to the system capacity to improve, and China’s scientific and technological innovation had made new historic achievements. Basic research and original innovation had made important progress, strategic high-tech fields had made new achievements, high-end industries had made new breakthroughs, science and technology had played an important role in the prevention and control of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, people’s livelihood in the field of science and technology had achieved remarkable results, and national defense science and technology innovation had made significant achievements. Practice had proved that the cause of independent innovation in China was promising, and the majority of our science and technology workers were very competent. The science and technology workers in China should keep pace with the times, have the courage to reform, perseverance and determination to shoulder the heavy responsibility given by the times, and strive to achieve a high level of scientific and technological self-sufficiency and self-improvement.
Xi Jinping stressed the need to strengthen original and leading scientific and technological research to resolutely win the core technology battle. When we did the basic research, we should have the courage to explore, attach the importance to the original work, expand the boundaries of understanding nature, and open up new cognitive frontiers. Science and technology research should adhere to taking the problem as orientation, strive to solve the most urgent and pressing problems, and work from the urgent needs of the country and long-term needs. Besides, we should enhance the motivation of the enterprise innovation, play the role of the enterprise questioner, accelerate the construction of leading enterprises, supporting universities and institutes, the main 7 bodies of innovation in concert with each other’s innovation consortium to improve the effectiveness of the transfer of scientific and technological achievements. And we should vigorously strengthen the multidisciplinary integration of modern engineering and technology scientific research, promote the development of basic science and engineering technology, and realize the formation of a complete modern science and technology system.
Xi Jinping pointed out that it was necessary to strengthen the national strategic science and technology forces and enhance the overall effectiveness of the national innovation system. National laboratories, national research institutions, high-level research universities, science and technology leading enterprises were an important part of the national strategic scientific and technological forces, so we should consciously fulfill the mission of high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement, produce more strategic and critical major scientific and technological achievements, focus on solving major scientific and technological problems that affect the overall situation and long-term interests of national development, accelerate the construction of the original innovation curator, and the breakthrough of key core technologies. High-level research universities should play the advantages of profound basic research and interdisciplinary integration, and become the main force of basic research and major scientific and technological breakthroughs. Leading science and technology enterprises should play the advantages of market demand, integrated innovation and organizational platform to enhance the basic capabilities of China’s industries and the modernization of the industrial chain. Each region should be based on their own advantages, combined with the needs of industrial development, scientific and reasonable layout of science and technology innovation.
Xi Jinping stressed the need to promote the reform of the science and technology system to form a basic system to support comprehensive innovation; the need to improve the socialist market economy under the conditions of a new type of state system and give full play to the role of the state as the organizer of major scientific and technological innovation; the need to focus on improving the evaluation system and other basic reforms, adhere to the quality, performance, contribution to the core of the evaluation system, a comprehensive and accurate reflection of the level of innovation, transformation and application of performance and the actual contribution to economic and social development; the need to take greater courage to promote the transformation of science and technology management functions, in accordance with putting the focus on strategy, reform, planning, service, style changing, enhancing the ability to strengthen the planning policy guidance, giving scientific research units more autonomy, greater technical route decisions and the right to use funds to free research units and researchers from the tedious and unnecessary institutional constraints; the need to reform the establishment of major science and technology projects and organizational management, to implement the “Science and Technology Reward System”, “Horse Racing System” and other systems, so that the real talents of scientific and technological personnel could all have a place to show their prowess.
Xi Jinping pointed out that it was necessary to build an open innovative ecology and participate in global science and technology governance. Science and technology were universal and contemporary, and were the common wealth of mankind. We should coordinate development and security, plan and promote innovation with a global perspective, actively integrate into global innovation networks, focus on climate change, human health and other issues, and strengthen joint research and development with researchers from various countries. We should participate deeply in global science and technology governance, contribute our wisdom with Chinese characteristics, let science and technology promote human welfare, and make greater contributions to promoting the building of a community of human destiny.
Xi Jinping stressed the need to stimulate the innovative vitality of all kinds of talents and build a global talent platform. Competition in today’s world was after all the competition for talents and education. Therefore, we should pay more attention to the independent cultivation of talents, strive to create a number of top scientific and technological talents with worldwide impact, have stable support for a number of innovative teams, train more high-quality technical and skilled personnel, skilled and great craftsmen. We should have the confidence that our education is able to cultivate great masters! We should construct a research and innovation platform that gathered global outstanding talents, and improve the policy for high-end talents and professionals to work, research and exchange in China, allow scientific and technological personnel to devote their main energy to scientific and technological innovation and research and development activities, while we must not allow scientific and technological personnel to spend a lot of time on some unnecessary ushering activities, unnecessary evaluation and assessment activities and formalism, bureaucracy and all kinds of activities.
Xi Jinping pointed out that Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering were not only the highest academic institutions of national science and technology and engineering science and technology, but also were the national strategic scientific and technological forces. We should play the role of the two institutions as the national team of academic leadership, the role of key core technology, the role of innovative talent training to solve major original scientific problems, explore the “No-man's land” of innovation, breakthrough in the development of key core technology constraints, and discover, train and gather a number of high-quality talents and high-level innovation team. And we should strengthen the function of the national high-end think tank of the two institutions, play the role of strategic scientists, and actively carry out consultation and evaluation to serve the national decision-making.
Xi Jinping stressed that China Association for Science and Technology should shoulder the responsibilities of the Party and the government to contact science and technology workers as a bridge and link, adhere to the service for science and technology workers, innovation-driven development, the improvement of the quality of science for all people, the Party and the government's scientific decision-making, more widely unite the vast number of science and technology workers around the Party, promote the spirit of scientists and culture the fine style of learning. We should adhere to face the world and the future, enhance openness, trust and cooperation with the international science and technology community, and make greater contributions to the comprehensive construction of a modern socialist country and the promotion of the building of a community of human destiny.
Xi Jinping pinpointed that the academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering were the wealth of the country, the pride of the people, and the glory of the nation. We should deepen the reform of the academician system and maintain the purity of the title of academician, so that the title of academician could be full of honorary and academic nature. The majority of academicians were hoped to be the example of embracing the country, serving the people, having the pursuit of truth and rising the height, adherence to academic ethics and rigorous academic discipline, be willing to serve as a ladder, and have reward for future generations. The majority of academicians should also not forget their original intention, remember their mission, respond to the call of the Party, listen to the call of the motherland, dare to be the first to explore, have the pursuit of excellence, adhere to academic morality and research ethics, be willing to be the leader of the next generation and strive to the utmost for the Party, for the motherland, and for the people.
Xi Jinping stressed that Party committees and governments at all levels should fully respect the talents, care for academicians politically, support them at work and care for them in life, listen carefully to the views of the majority of scientific researchers, including academicians, strengthen the rational management of scientific research activities and the protection of the service, and create a good innovation environment for scientific researchers.
2. Premier Li Keqiang’s Important Speech
On the afternoon of May 28, Li Keqiang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Premier of the State Council, delivered an important speech.
Li Keqiang said that, this morning, General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered an important speech, made a systematic summary of the new historic achievements in science and technology in China, and put forward clear requirements to speed up the construction of a strong Scientific and technological power, and that we should seriously study and understand his speech, and strive to implement his requirements.
Li Keqiang pointed out that since the outbreak of the pandemic last year, under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, all regions and departments earnestly implemented the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, and did a solid job in the “Six stabilities” work, fully implemented “The six guarantees”. We faced up to the innovation of market players and the implementation of macro policies, and everyone in the country worked hard and China’s economy showed strong resilience and achieved a stable recovery under the multiple rare impact. The majority of science and technology workers had overcome difficulties and made important contributions to the prevention and control of pandemic, the growth and development of new dynamic energy and economic and social development.
Li Keqiang said that, at present, China’s economy continued to have reinforcement and improvement in stability, but the domestic and foreign environment was still complex and severe with increasing uncertainty, so we should face up to the difficulties and challenges in economic operation, take hold in the basic national condition that China was still the world’s largest developing country, and focus on our own business. We should take Xi Jinping’s thought of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era as a guide, adhere to the general keynote of seeking progress in a stable manner, accurately pay attention to the new development stage, have in-depth implementation of the new development concept, and accelerate the construction of a new development pattern. Besides, we should focus on the current situation and put our vision in the long-term process, stimulate the vitality of market entities, enhance the development of endogenous power, continue to deepen reform, maintain the necessary macro policy support, focus on market-based solutions to outstanding problems in economic operation such as rising commodity prices, vigorously promote scientific and technological innovation, expand domestic demand and open up to the outside world, protect and improve people's livelihood in development, maintain economic operation in a reasonable range and stable employment, and promote high-quality development.
Li Keqiang pointed out that in recent years, China’s scientific and technological strength have improved a lot, and also achieved a number of major scientific and technological achievements in some key areas. Under the new situation, we must give full play to the advantages of China’s abundant human resources, enhance the leading role of science and technology innovation on economic and social development. We should strengthen basic research and build a solid foundation for scientific and technological innovation, focus on strategy and promote more innovative breakthroughs in key areas, stimulate the innovation vitality of enterprises, implement policies such as increasing the proportion of R&D expenses of manufacturing enterprises, and promote industrial upgrading. We should promote the reform of the science and technology system, untie the burden of scientific researchers and create a favorable environment, promote the spirit of science, strengthen the protection of intellectual property rights, and motivate researchers, especially the young talents to pursue research, strengthen international cooperation in science and technology, and enhance the capacity of independent innovation in openness.
Li Keqiang said that the Academicians of the two academies were outstanding representatives of China's science and technology workers, and he hoped that we would continue to contribute to China’s scientific and technological progress, talent training, and economic and social development. China Association for Science and Technology should widely unite science and technology workers to serve the Party and the State's work in general, improve the overall quality of public science and culture, and the governments at all levels should continue to care for and support the majority of researchers, and strive to create better working and living conditions for them.
3.Comrade Wang Huning's speech
On the morning of May 29, Wang Huning, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the Central Secretariat, congratulated the meeting and delivered a speech on behalf of the Party Central Committee.
Wang Huning said in his speech that the remarks made by General Secretary Xi Jinping at the meeting of the Academicians of the two academies made scientific analysis of the world’s scientific and technological revolution and industrial change in today’s development trend, in-depth summary of the century-long history and brilliant achievements of science and technology in China under the leadership of the Party, profound clarification of the new development stage to achieve China’s scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement of a series of major issues, which would speed up the construction of a scientific and technological power around the world. Therefore, we must study and understand Xi Jinping’s remarks and consciously implement them to our work and practice.
Wang Huning also noted that, since the 18th Party Congress, under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, the majority of science and technology workers were determined to struggle, focus on scientific and technological research, innovation and creativity, and promote the historic achievements of China’s science and technology. Since the ninth anniversary of China Association for Science and Technology, the Association at all levels had done a lot of fruitful work in the aspects of strengthening ideological and political leadership, promoting innovation-driven development, improving the quality of science for all, and deepening their own reform and other aspects.
He expressed the hope that the majority of science and technology workers could study and understand the important remarks of General Secretary Xi Jinping on scientific and technological innovation, always bear in mind “The Greatness of Nations”, adhere to the world’s scientific and technological frontier, the main battlefield of the economy, the major needs of the country and people's life and health, and that they should draw the power to advance from the Party's century of struggle, promote the scientists’ spirit, make every effort to fight core technology war of attrition, and make new achievements in the new journey of building a modern socialist country. China Association for Science and Technology should strengthen the Party's leadership and the building of the Party, and better unite the majority of science and technology workers around the Party.
III. The Main Documents of the Meeting
1.The Report to the National Congress
The report to the National Congress systematically summarized the exploration and practice of CAST in comprehensively implementing Xi Jinping's thought of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era and promoting the reform and development of the cause in the past five years, comprehensively analyzed the profound changes in the international and domestic situation and the opportunities and challenges in the next five years, highlighted the political nature, took General Secretary Xi Jinping's important remarks on scientific and technological innovation and the development of the group as a guideline, vigorously promoted the spirit of scientists, focused on nurturing self-reliance and self-improvement, promoting innovation and development, promoting collaborative governance, and expanding openness and integration. On the basis of deepening the construction of open, hub and platform organizations, we should take hold on the new development stage, implement the new development concept and serve the new development pattern as the main direction for the next five years, so that the development of the cause of China Association for Science and Technology could keep pace with the times and resonate with the overall construction of a modern socialist country. Besides, we should further clarify the important role of science associations in the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity to deepen the reform of the science association system as the driving force, comprehensively strengthen the political leadership function of science popularization, academics, think tanks and other means of work for science and technology workers, and expand new space in the service of building a community of human destiny, and more widely unite and lead science and technology workers to build a world power in science and technology and comprehensively build a socialist modern country.
In the past five years, under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee, we had insisted on enhancing political, advanced and mass characteristics, focusing on the main responsibility of political leadership, insisting on centering and serving the overall situation, growing the main business of science popularization, academics and think tanks, expanding the work space of “Four services”, and successfully completing the “Nine Key tasks ” of CAST. Firstly, we should lay the good foundation and cast the soul to strengthen the overall of the political construction of the CAST organizations. We should insist on learning to fully implement Xi Jinping’s thought on socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, focusing on the political construction of the work pattern, promoting the spirit of scientists in the new era, guiding the scientific and technological community to build a firm ideological field, and strengthening and ensuring the CAST system. Secondly, we should be innovative and creative, and have comprehensive expansion of the “Four services” development. We should insist on making efforts in contacting and serving science and technology workers and introducce “China Brand”, promote the transformation of science popularization, informatization and internationalization, and create a systemic think tank system. Thirdly, we should have unity and cooperation, strive to make the construction of an open, hub-and-spoke, platform-based organization. We should insist on promoting the industry, gathering talents and attracting talents with the industry, creating a number of international cross-border open exchange platforms, collaborating with various new organizations to continuously expand the new space of service development and actively participating in global science and technology governance. Fourthly, we should take charge and be responsible, reform and innovate to highlight the cause of the development of the fundamental driving force, insist on party building bringing up group building to give new vitality to grass-roots organizations, strengthening the main position of the reform of the Association, making new breakthroughs in the construction of first-class journals so that we could make every effort to build an online “Home for science and technology workers”.
The world today is facing a major change unprecedented in a century and a profound adjustment in the international power contrast, and entering a period of turbulent change, which has triggered new changes in the global governance system, and that people start to bear the concept of a community of human destiny in mind. China has turned into the stage of high-quality development, and people’s aspiration for a better life is the goal of science and technology innovation. The Party Central Committee insists on the central position of innovation in the overall situation of modernization and takes the self-sufficiency and self-improvement on science and technology as the strategic support of national development, which put forward new and higher requirements for the scientific association organizations to accurately focus on the new development stage, deeply implement the new development concept, accelerate the construction of a new development pattern, and most widely unite and mobilize science and technology workers to contribute to the new era. We need to be open-minded and bear the “Two overall situations” in mind and expand the strategic space of CAST to serve the construction of a community of human destiny, and we must serve the new development pattern and write a new chapter in the modernization and development of science and technology groups.
The root of the development of the cause of China Association for Science and Technology lies in adhering to Xi Jinping’s thought on socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era as a guide, always maintaining the political nature of the people’s organizations under the leadership of the Party, and its vitality lies in always focusing on the development of the cause of the Party and the State, centering on science and technology workers, and establishing the focus of work with the times, and the momentum lies in responding to the world trend of scientific and technological development, and persistently deepening reform and expanding openness. In the next five years, we should take hold in the new development stage, fully implement the new development concept, and the CAST organizations must continue to improve political judgment, political comprehension, political implementation, and unite science and technology workers to take the initiative to integrate into the historical process of building a new development pattern. We should firm ideals and beliefs, unity and convergence of science and technology to build a modern state; adhere to the pooling of wisdom, and build an innovative think tank to support the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity; adhere to the main body of the Society, and build world-class science and technology associations with Chinese characteristics; adhere to the science and technology for the people, and build a high-quality science service system; adhere to innovation and creativity, and create a collaborative innovation platform to promote the integration of industry, academia and research; adhere to working in the mass line, and build a home for science and technology workers with emotional temperature; adhere to open development, and actively participate in global innovation governance; adhere to the Party's overall leadership of the work of CAST, and build a vibrant people’s organization.
2. Articles of China Association for Science and Technology
According to the new tasks and requirements of the Party Central Committee for CAST in the new situation, combined with five years of innovative experience in the development of the cause of the organization, Articles of China Association for Science and Technology was considered and adopted on May 30 on the plenary session.
The main principles of the revision of the Articles were as follows: First, adhering to the Xi Jinping’s thought of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era as the guidance, making in-depth implementation of the 19th CPC National Congress and the second, third, fourth and fifth plenary sessions of the 19th CPC Central Committee, adhering to the political principle of “the Party leads everything”, fully reflecting the new requirements and deployments of the central government on the work of the group, science and technology and the work of CAST. Second, insisting on consistency with the existing national laws and party regulations, and expressing the relevant contents of Constitution of the Chinese Association for Science and Technology in accordance with Constitution of the Communist Party of China, the Constitution of the People's Republic of China, Opinions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Strengthening the Political Construction of the Party, and Regulations on the Work of Communist Party of China Groups. Third, insisting on starting from the new tasks and new situation faced by the scientific association organizations in the new era, taking hold in the new development stage, implementing the new development concept and building a new development pattern, establishing the major strategic arrangements of the Party and the State as the mission of the scientific association system, and fully absorbing the important theoretical and practical innovations achieved since the Ninth Congress of China Association for Science and Technology to serve the work of the Party and the State. Fourth, adhering to the continuity, stability and authority of the Articles, while maintaining the stability of the overall structure of the Articles, adjusting the content of the revision. And the major key issues of political nature should be revised, and the issues that were line with the principle needed not to be revised, so as to meet the requirements of the reform and development of the cause of the Association, but also follow the law of the development of the Articles.
The main content of the amendment to the Articles is as follow: Firstly, focusing on enhancing the political nature of CAST. We should strengthen the leading role of Xi Jinping's thought of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, adhere to the political principle that “The Party leads everything”, and the correct political direction. The leadership role of the leading Party Group of CAST should be written into the General Provisions, and we should clarify the leading position and important responsibilities of the leading Party Group of CAST in the organizational system of CAST, and propose the institutional design of national societies, local science associations and grassroots organizations to strengthen the construction of the Party, so as to better unite and guide the majority of science and technology workers to listen to the Party and follow it. Secondly, focusing on enhancing the advanced nature of CAST organizations. That Chinese Association for Science and Technology was “An important force in promoting the development of science and technology and building a world power in science and technology” should be written into the general principles, and “Adhere to the ‘Four orientations’, adhere to the core of innovation in the overall situation of China's modernization, take scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement as the strategic support for national development” should be written as the purpose. And we should put promoting the spirit of scientists, collaborating with organizations to promote the cultivation and construction of world-class science and technology journals, strengthening the construction of science and technology ethics, and participating in international science and technology affairs and global science and technology governance into the tasks of the CAST organization. We should propose to support the development of Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and foreign members of the Association, promote the admission of Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and foreign scientists to serve in the Association, to create an open, trusting and cooperative scientific community. Thirdly, focusing on enhancing the mass nature of Science Association. We should include “May 30 of each year is the National Day of Science and Technology Workers” in the general rules to enhance the sense of identity and belonging of the majority of science and technology workers, and further solidify the effective mechanism formed in the practice of reforming the organizational strength of the CAST, and include the promotion of deep integration of scientific and technological innovation, and economic and social development and the development of science and technology volunteer services in the tasks of China Association for Science and Technology, so as to improve the work system of CAST, which was widely connected and served the masses. We should improve the organization system and operation mechanism of local science associations and national societies, strengthen the guidance of higher-level science associations to lower-level science associations, and consolidate the organization system of science association system. Besides, we should take root in the grassroots, adhere to the Party’s building bringing up the Group’s building, strengthen the construction of grass-roots science associations, promote the city (county) and the following science associations to absorb the heads of institutions in the fields of education, health care, agricultural technology promotion, etc. into the leading bodies of science associations, strengthen the classification of grass-roots organization, and build a solid foundation for the organization of the science association system.
3. The “14th Five-Year Plan” for Development of China Association for Science and Technology
At the closing session, the delegates of the Tenth Congress adopted the “14th Five-Year Plan” for the Development of China Association for Science and Technology (2021-2025), which was divided into four sections and contained 12,000 words.
The first section was the preface. It mainly summarized the achievements of CAST during the 13th Five-Year Plan period, analyzed the new development situation, new development requirements and problems and shortcomings of CAST in the current and future period, and clarified the direction of CAST's development in the next five years.
The second section was the general theory. And the guiding ideology of the development of CAST in the next five years was clearly defined: Adhering to the guidance of Xi Jinping's thought of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, unswervingly following the path of development of socialist groups with Chinese characteristics, taking hold in the new development stage, implementing the new development concept, building a new development pattern, promoting high-quality development, effectively enhancing the “Three natures”, taking reform and innovation, cooperation and development as the driving forces, improving the work system of CAST, which was widely contacted and served science and technology workers, taking political leadership, public service and organizational empowerment as the focus, effectively serving science and technology workers, uniting and leading the majority of science and technology workers to serve innovation-driven development, serving to improve the quality of science for all people, serving the Party and the government in scientific decision-making, and making greater contributions to building a socialist modern country and promoting the building of a human destiny with a high level of scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement.
Besides, the basic principles of the future development of CAST in the next five years were clearly defined: We should adhere to the Party's leadership and focus on the target; adhere to the center and serve the overall situation; adhere to self-reliance and self-improvement and open integration; adhere to system integration and efficient synergy; adhere to the righteous innovation and deepen reform.
And the development goals of CAST organizations for the next five years were also clearly defined: By 2025, the construction of the Association's work system, which was widely connected and served science and technology workers, would achieve remarkable results, the supply capacity of socialized public service products of science and technology would been significantly enhanced, and the ability of uniting and leading science and technology workers to innovate and create would be significantly strengthened.
The third section included some task measures. It proposed 34 measures to strengthen the ideological and political leadership, implement the integration of science and technology economic, build a new platform for academic exchanges, promote the high-quality development of science popularization services, strengthen the construction of high-end think tanks of science and technology with group characteristics, carry out high-level foreign civil science and technology humanities exchanges and cooperation, and comprehensively deepen the reform of CAST system on 34 measures of 7 aspects; it planed the implementation of a number of major platforms, major items, major projects and a series of innovative mechanisms such as “Popularization of Science in China”, “Innovation China”, “Wisdom China”.
The fourth section included guarantee measures. It proposed that the organizational leadership of the implementation of the plan, the construction of the staff team of the CAST, the conditions for the implementation of the plan, the assessment and evaluation of the implementation of the plan and other four safeguards should be strengthened.
4. A New Leading Body Was Created
The Congress elected 390 members of the new National Committee of China Association for Science and Technology. The first plenary session of the 10th National Committee voted for one chairman, 18 vice-chairmen and 56 members of the Standing Committee. Comrade Wan Gang was elected as the Chairman of the 10th National Committee.
The first meeting of the tenth Standing Committee adopted the first secretary of the Secretariat and the list of secretaries, Comrade Huai Jinpeng as the first secretary. The meeting also adopted the setting program of the special committee of the Standing Committee.