In a lengthy interview to the People's Daily (January 2), China's Minister for Science and Technology Wang Zhizhang emphasised, inter alia, the leading role envisaged for S & T. He said that "The influence and support of strategic scientific and technological forces are directly related to the improvement of China's comprehensive national strength and international competitiveness. It is a "ballast stone" that promotes economic and social development and guarantees national security". Pointing out that "The major innovative countries in the world have all adopted national resources and national efforts in the field of strategic high-tech", he said since the "founding of the People’s Republic of China, especially since the reform and opening up, China has given full play to the institutional advantages of the socialist system in concentrating its forces on major events. It has successively achieved outstanding achievements in the fields of "two bombs and one satellite", manned spaceflight, lunar exploration, Beidou navigation, and high-speed rail", all major achievements that have attracted worldwide attention. He stressed that "the new nationwide system must give full play to the institutional advantages of the leadership of the Communist Party of China and socialism with Chinese characteristics".
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