Xinhuanet, Beijing, June 3rd
Let engineering technology benefit mankind and create the future
——Keynote speech at the 2014 International Conference on Engineering Technology
President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping
Ladies, gentlemen and friends:
In this beautiful season, the International Engineering Science and Technology Conference was held in Beijing. I am very happy to have the opportunity to meet with experts and scholars of engineering science and technology from all over the world, and I am very willing to listen to your views on the development of engineering science and technology and the future of human society.
First of all, on behalf of the Chinese government and people, and in my own name, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the convening of the conference! I would like to express my sincere welcome to all the delegates attending the conference! Heartfelt congratulations to the convening of the Council meeting of the International Academy of Engineering and Technology!
Engineering technology is closely related to human survival. Learn from the past. Looking back at the history of human civilization, human survival is closely related to the level of social productivity development, and an important source of social productivity development is engineering technology. Engineering benefits mankind, and technology creates the future. Engineering technology is an important force to change the world. It originates from the needs of life and belongs to life. History has proved that engineering and technological innovation drives the rapid rotation of the wheel of history, provides an inexhaustible source of power for the progress of human civilization, and promotes human beings from ignorance to civilization, from nomadic civilization to agricultural civilization, industrial civilization, and to the information age.
Throughout the ages, human beings have created countless amazing engineering and technological achievements. Many achievements created by ancient engineering technology still exist today, witnessing the chronicle of human civilization. Such as ancient Egyptian pyramids, ancient Greek Parthenon, ancient Roman Colosseum, Indian Sun Temple, Cambodia Angkor Wat, India Taj Mahal and other ancient architectural wonders, such as Chinese papermaking, gunpowder, printing, Major technological creations such as the compass, and major projects such as the Great Wall, Dujiangyan, and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal were all key factors and important symbols of the formation of human civilization at that time.
Since modern times, engineering technology has more directly linked scientific discovery with industrial development, and has become the main driving force for economic and social development. Every industrial revolution is inseparable from a technological revolution. In the 18th century, the steam engine sparked the first industrial revolution, leading to a major leap from manual labor to the production of powered machines, bringing mankind into the age of mechanization. From the end of the 19th century to the first half of the 20th century, electrical machinery and chemical industry triggered the second industrial revolution, which brought human beings into the era of electrification, atomic energy, and aerospace, greatly improved social productivity and human living standards, and reduced the size of countries and regions. The earth becomes a "village" in terms of space and time distances from regions and people. In the second half of the 20th century, information technology triggered the third industrial revolution, which transformed social production and consumption from industrialization to automation and intelligence. Every major breakthrough in engineering technology will lead to profound changes in social productivity, and will push human civilization to a new and higher level.
In the more than 60 years since the founding of the People's Republic of China, especially the more than 30 years of reform and opening up, China's economy and society have developed rapidly, and the driving force of engineering science and technology innovation has played an important role. A number of major engineering and scientific and technological achievements such as "two bombs and one satellite", manned spaceflight, and lunar exploration projects have greatly enhanced China's comprehensive national strength and international status. The successful construction of a large number of major projects such as the Three Gorges Project, West-East Gas Transmission, West-East Electricity Transmission, South-to-North Water Diversion, Qinghai-Tibet Railway, and High-speed Railway has greatly improved China's innovation capabilities and levels in basic industries, manufacturing, emerging industries and other fields. China's modernization process. The development of engineering science and technology in the fields of agricultural science and technology, population health, resources and environment, public safety, disaster prevention and mitigation has greatly improved the living standards and quality of more than 1.3 billion Chinese people, and brought historic changes to the face of China and the face of the Chinese people. .
Today, all aspects of human life are marked by engineering technology. From the crossing of railways, bridges, high dams, cars, planes, spaceships, giant ships, and smooth communications, to thousands of machines, automated production lines, televisions, telephones, washing machines, refrigerators , microwave ovens, air conditioners, vacuum cleaners and other household appliances, engineering technology has brought unprecedented convenience to human production and life.
Since the beginning of this century, the role of engineering technology in the development of human society has become increasingly prominent. I worked in Zhejiang Province for 5 years and witnessed the construction of the 36-kilometer Hangzhou Bay Bridge. This project not only promotes the local leap from transportation terminal to transportation hub, but also affects various fields of economic and social development through the convergence and diffusion of logistics, capital flow, and information flow, and promotes the development of the Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Shanghai economic circle. It can be said that in today's world, the role of science and technology as the primary productive force is becoming more and more prominent, and the leading role of engineering and technological progress and innovation in economic and social development has become more prominent, which has not only become a decisive factor to promote the development of social productivity and labor productivity, but also promote education. , an important force in the development of culture, sports, health, art and other undertakings.
Ladies, gentlemen, friends!
The pursuit of a happy life is the most lasting force to promote the progress of human civilization. To enjoy better education, more stable jobs, more satisfactory income, more reliable social security, higher level of medical and health services, more comfortable living conditions, and a more beautiful production and living environment is the priority of the Chinese people and the people of the world. common dream.
At present, world multi-polarization and economic globalization are developing in depth, cultural diversification and social informatization continue to advance. Food shortages, resource shortages, energy shortages, environmental pollution, abnormal climate, population expansion, poverty, epidemics of diseases, economic crises, and many other global problems pose serious challenges to human survival and development.
Realize dreams, meet challenges, and create the future, where does the motivation come from? It can only come from development, reform and innovation. The material resources on the earth will inevitably be used less and less, and the traditional development method that consumes a lot of material resources is obviously unsustainable. Facing the future, the world's modern population will grow rapidly. If everyone lives according to the existing resource consumption pattern, it is unimaginable. China has a team of more than 42 million engineering and technological talents, which is the most valuable resource for China to create the future. The development of science and technology is a strategic choice for mankind to meet global challenges and achieve sustainable development. All of these put forward a new mission for the progress and innovation of engineering technology.
An engineering innovation can give birth to an industry and influence and even change the world. The team of Academician Yuan Longping invented hybrid rice, which boosted China's grain yield to more than 800 kilograms per mu. It not only made outstanding contributions to solving the problem of feeding more than 1.3 billion people in China, but also promoted it to India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt, and Madagascar. , Liberia and many other countries, the rice production in those places has increased by 15%-20%, which has played an important role in ensuring food security and reducing poverty for human beings.
In today's world, the replacement cycle of new discoveries, new technologies, new products, and new materials is getting shorter and shorter, engineering and technological innovations are emerging in an endless stream, the demand for social and economic development is far beyond prediction, and the potential for human innovation is far beyond imagination. The cross-integration of information technology, biotechnology, new energy technology, and new material technology is triggering a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation. This will bring new opportunities for the development of human society. Major engineering and technological breakthroughs in any field may inject new vitality into world development and trigger new industrial and social changes.
In the next few decades, a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation will form a historic intersection with the development of human society, and the progress and innovation of engineering technology will become an important engine for the development of human society. Information technology has become the first leading technology to penetrate into all fields of economic and social life, and will promote the transformation of the economic development model based on material production and material service to the economic development model based on information production and information service. The world is entering an information industry. period of new economic development. Biology-related technologies will create new economic growth points. Genetic technology, protein engineering, space utilization, ocean development, and the development of new energy and new materials will produce a series of major innovations, expand production and development space, and improve human living standards and quality. . Green technology has become the basic direction for science and technology to serve the society, and an important means for mankind to build a beautiful earth. The development of energy technology will provide the main way to solve the energy problem.
Creating a better future for mankind is a powerful driving force for the development of engineering science and technology, and global engineering and technology personnel should earnestly undertake this historical mission.
Ladies, gentlemen, friends!
"One flower alone is not spring, a hundred flowers blooming in spring fills the garden." Today, human beings live in the same global village, and countries are interconnected, interdependent, cooperative, and mutually reinforcing. I have your community of destiny. The Chinese people and the people of other countries share weal and woe, and the dreams of the Chinese people and the people of all countries are closely linked.
Now, all countries are deeply thinking about the future development prospects. China has set a clear blueprint for development in the coming period. Our goal is to double the GDP and per capita income of urban and rural residents compared with 2010, and build a moderately prosperous society in all respects; by the middle of this century, build a prosperous, strong, democratic and civilized society A harmonious socialist modern country. China is comprehensively deepening reforms, comprehensively advancing reforms in the fields of economy, politics, culture, society, and ecological civilization, striving to solve development problems, remove institutional and institutional obstacles that affect economic and social development, and continuously add new impetus to development.
China is the largest developing country in the world, and development is the key to solving all China's problems. To develop, we must give full play to the role of the primary productive forces of science and technology. We regard the innovation-driven development strategy as a major national strategy, focus on promoting engineering technology innovation, and realize the transition from factor-driven and investment-scale-driven development to innovation-driven development. We will continue to implement the sustainable development strategy, optimize the development pattern of land and space, comprehensively promote resource conservation, strengthen the natural ecosystem and environmental protection, focus on solving a series of problems such as smog, and strive to build a beautiful China with blue sky, green water and clean water. We will pay close attention to people's livelihood, and focus on solving the problems of people's clothing, food, housing, transportation, education, medical care, and elderly care, so that people can live a better life. We will undertake the mission of a responsible major country, and by building a peaceful and prosperous China, we will benefit the Chinese people, the people of the world, and future generations.
Ladies, gentlemen, friends!
The soul of engineering science and technology lies in openness. In the era of peace, development, cooperation and win-win, improving the international level of engineering science and technology development has become a common consensus and an important means for all countries to promote engineering science and technology innovation. Sharing engineering science and technology achievements is to promote common development. , an important way to promote common prosperity. By strengthening international cooperation in engineering science and technology, we should learn from each other and inspire each other, so as to promote the progress and innovation of engineering science and technology, meet the common challenges of mankind, and achieve common development of all countries.
Over the past 30 years of reform and opening up, China has established scientific and technological cooperation with more than 150 countries and regions, carried out extensive exchanges of engineering and scientific and technological talents, and participated in a large number of reports such as the International Thermonuclear Fusion Experimental Reactor Project, the Human Genome Project, and the Galileo Project. Major scientific and technological projects at the forefront of contemporary engineering science and technology play an important role in promoting China's economic and social development and engineering science and technology progress.
Not long ago, I visited UNESCO and talked with Ms. Bokova about exchanges and mutual learning among world civilizations. UNESCO has made unremitting efforts in promoting exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, and has played an irreplaceable role in promoting understanding and cooperation between countries and people. International cooperation in engineering science and technology is an important driving force for the advancement of human civilization. The Council of the International Academy of Engineering and Technology is the most important academic organization in the international engineering science and technology community. It has played an important role in promoting international cooperation in engineering technology and effectively promoted the progress of engineering technology in various countries. The Chinese Academy of Engineering has carried out very active engineering science and technology exchanges with other countries and achieved good results.
Representatives from various countries, academicians, experts and scholars are the leading talents in the international engineering science and technology field, the messenger of engineering science and technology, and the link of talent exchange. The people express their heartfelt thanks for this! The Chinese people love peace and long for development. China will deepen international exchanges and cooperation in the field of engineering science and technology on a larger scale, and is willing to work together with other countries in the world to jointly solve problems and jointly create a future. We will strengthen inter-governmental strategic cooperation in engineering science and technology, and support international exchanges and cooperation in engineering science and technology with a more open mind. We will strengthen semi-official and private engineering and technology cooperation, and promote exchanges between domestic and foreign scientific research institutions, institutions of higher learning, scientific and technological academic organizations, enterprises, cities, and individual scientists. We will strengthen cooperation in major scientific and technological projects, and continue to participate in or lead the development of international large-scale scientific and technological cooperation projects that are more beneficial to future development, human health, and addressing climate change. We will strengthen the exchange of engineering science and technology information, and jointly establish large-scale engineering science and technology databases, network systems and virtual research centers with other countries and international organizations to promote information sharing, technology sharing, and resource sharing. We will strengthen the training of engineering and scientific and technological talents, take international exchanges and cooperation as an important platform for gathering first-class scholars, and jointly cultivate top-notch innovative engineering and scientific and technological talents.
Engineering technology is the wings for human beings to realize their dreams, carrying the yearning for a better life of human beings, and can make tomorrow full of hope and make the future more brilliant. It is hoped that Chinese and foreign engineering science and technology experts and scholars will strengthen cooperation and jointly make new and greater contributions to the progress of human society!
thank you all.
(Original title: Xi Jinping's keynote speech at the 2014 International Conference on Engineering Science and Technology (full text))
