Premier Zhu Rongji said Wednesday the government will conscientiously implement the strategy of national rejuvenation through science, technology and education and the strategy of sustainable development.

In his government work report to the First Session of the 10th NPC, Zhu said the government should continue to increase investment for developing science, technology and education.

According to the report, state plans for medium and long-term development of science and technology should be promptly formulated and implemented.

"We need to promote the development of a state innovation system. We should effectively strengthen our basic and high-tech research and enhance our capabilities for scientific and technological innovation and competition. We should lose no time in implementing the State Plan for High-Tech Research and Development and the State Plan for Development of Basic Research in Key Areas, as well as major projects for science and technology development," the report says.

China should master core technologies and win proprietary intellectual property rights in key areas and some frontier fields of science and technology; strengthen the infrastructure for science and technology; continue to restructure the administration of science and technology activities, improve their service system, strengthen the protection of intellectual property rights, facilitate the patenting of inventions, and facilitate a faster transition from research achievements to actual productivity.

Equal importance should be attached to social and natural sciences, and work should be done to promote the development of philosophy and other social sciences.

"We should deepen the reform of the educational system, encourage innovative approaches to education, and promote competence-oriented education in an all-round way," says the report.

China should accelerate the development of all types of education at all levels and improve the quality of education; continue to improve the management system for rural compulsory education in which the county authorities play the principal role; continue doing a good job in providing student loans and establishing a national scholarship system.

Vocational education and training should be strengthened. Privately-run schools should be standardized in accordance with the law, and their development should be supported.

"We should continue implementing the strategy of making China strong by giving full play to the role of talented people. We should train and attract more people with expertise in all fields, especially people of a high caliber and with expertise badly needed in China."

"To achieve this purpose, China must create the kind of conditions whereby they can fully develop their abilities and carve out successful careers for themselves; keep up good work with regard to population and family planning and maintain a low birth rate; improve our planning for urban and rural development; effectively protect, rationally exploit and economize on natural resources."

More programs should be implemented for developing marine resources. Protection and conservation of the ecological environment should be strengthened, and the environmental protection industry should be vigorously developed. Pollution prevention and treatment should be intensified in key river valleys and key land and sea areas.

"We must do a better job of comprehensive environmental control in cities, and disaster prevention and reduction should be effectively carried out," the report says.

(Xinhua)