On the afternoon of February 21, the CCP Central Committee Politburo conducted a third collective study session on strengthening basic research. When presiding over the study session, CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that strengthening basic research is an urgent requirement for achieving high-level S&T self-reliance and self-improvement, and it is the only way to create a global S&T power. Party committees and governments at all levels should include strengthening basic research into the critical agenda of S&T work, as well as strengthen overall coordination, increase policy support, and promote high-quality development of basic research.
中共中央政治局2月21日下午就加强基础研究进行第三次集体学习。中共中央总书记习近平在主持学习时强调，加强基础研究，是实现高水平科技自立自强的迫切要求，是建设世界科技强国的必由之路。各级党委和政府要把加强基础研究纳入科技工作重要日程，加强统筹协调，加大政策支持，推动基础研究实现高质量发展。
Professor Gong Qihuang, president of Peking University and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, explained this issue and put forward work suggestions. Comrades from the CCP Politburo listened carefully to the explanation and held a discussion.
北京大学校长、中科院院士龚旗煌教授就这个问题作了讲解，提出工作建议。中央政治局的同志认真听取了讲解，并进行了讨论。
After listening to the explanations and discussions, Xi Jinping delivered an important speech. He pointed out that the party and the state have always attached great importance to basic research work. After the founding of New China, especially since the reform and opening up, China’s basic research has made great achievements. At present, a new round of S&T revolution and industrial transformation is advancing by leaps and bounds. Interdisciplinary integration continues to develop, and scientific research paradigms are undergoing profound changes. S&T and economic and social development accelerate penetration and integration, the transformation cycle of basic research has been significantly shortened, and international S&T competition has moved forward to the basic frontier. To cope with international S&T competition, achieve high-level self-reliance and self-improvement, promote the construction of a new development pattern, and achieve high-quality development, it is urgent for us to strengthen basic research and solve key technical problems from the source and the bottom.
习近平在听取讲解和讨论后发表了重要讲话。他指出，党和国家历来重视基础研究工作。新中国成立后特别是改革开放以来，我国基础研究取得了重大成就。当前，新一轮科技革命和产业变革突飞猛进，学科交叉融合不断发展，科学研究范式发生深刻变革，科学技术和经济社会发展加速渗透融合，基础研究转化周期明显缩短，国际科技竞争向基础前沿前移。应对国际科技竞争、实现高水平自立自强，推动构建新发展格局、实现高质量发展，迫切需要我们加强基础研究，从源头和底层解决关键技术问题。
Xi Jinping emphasized that it is necessary to strengthen the forward-looking, strategic, and systematic layout of basic research. Basic research is at the beginning of the scientific research chain from research to application to production. Only when the foundation is firmly laid can the S&T building be built high. To adhere to the “Four Orientations,” we must uphold the goal-oriented and free exploration of “Walking on Two Legs,” combining the world’s cutting-edge S&T with the country’s major strategic needs and economic and social development goals. We must coordinate the cutting-edge issues raised in accordance with the laws of scientific development and the theoretical issues abstracted from major applied research and scrutinize the key scientific issues of basic research. We must grasp the development trend of S&T and the national strategic needs, strengthen the feasibility demonstration and selection evaluation of major basic research projects, fully respect the opinions of scientists, grasp the general trend, and seize a “first mover” advantage. To enhance national strategic S&T strength, we must organize the promotion of strategic-oriented systematic basic research, frontier-oriented exploratory basic research, and market-oriented applied basic research. We must pay attention to the leading role of national laboratories, the institutionalized organizational role of national scientific research institutions, the main force role of high-level research universities, and the role of “questioners,” “answerers,” and “markers” of leading technology companies. We must optimize the layout of basic disciplines, support the development of key disciplines, emerging disciplines, unpopular disciplines, and weak disciplines, promote interdisciplinary integration and interdisciplinary research, and build a high-quality discipline system with comprehensive and balanced development.
习近平强调，要强化基础研究前瞻性、战略性、系统性布局。基础研究处于从研究到应用、再到生产的科研链条起始端，地基打得牢，科技事业大厦才能建得高。要坚持“四个面向”，坚持目标导向和自由探索“两条腿走路”，把世界科技前沿同国家重大战略需求和经济社会发展目标结合起来，统筹遵循科学发展规律提出的前沿问题和重大应用研究中抽象出的理论问题，凝练基础研究关键科学问题。要把握科技发展趋势和国家战略需求，加强基础研究重大项目可行性论证和遴选评估，充分尊重科学家意见，把握大趋势、下好“先手棋”。要强化国家战略科技力量，有组织推进战略导向的体系化基础研究、前沿导向的探索性基础研究、市场导向的应用性基础研究，注重发挥国家实验室引领作用、国家科研机构建制化组织作用、高水平研究型大学主力军作用和科技领军企业“出题人”、“答题人”、“阅卷人”作用。要优化基础学科建设布局，支持重点学科、新兴学科、冷门学科和薄弱学科发展，推动学科交叉融合和跨学科研究，构筑全面均衡发展的高质量学科体系。
Xi Jinping pointed out that the world has entered the era of big science, the degree of organization of basic research is ever advancing, and the influence of institutional guarantees and policy guidance on the output of basic research is increasing. We must deepen the reform of basic research systems and mechanisms and give full play to the value-driven and strategic traction roles of systems and policies. To steadily increase financial investment in basic research, we must incentivize enterprises to increase investment through various methods such as tax incentives, encourage social forces to set up multiple investments such as science funds and scientific donations, improve the funding efficiency of the National Natural Science Foundation of China and its joint funds, and establish and improve the basic research investment mechanism that combines competitive support and stable support. To optimize the basic research support system of the national science and technology plan, we must improve basic research project organization, application, review, and decision-making mechanisms, implement differentiated classification management and international and domestic peer review, organize and carry out collaborative research on major scientific issues, and encourage free exploratory research and non-consensus innovative research. To properly handle the relationship between the new nationwide system and market mechanisms, we must improve the system of S&T evaluation incentives, the application and transformation of achievements, and the salaries of S&T personnel to match the long-term cycle of basic research. We must provide long-term and stable support for a number of basic research innovation bases, advantageous teams, and key directions and build a source of original innovation and a vanguard of basic research.
习近平指出，世界已经进入大科学时代，基础研究组织化程度越来越高，制度保障和政策引导对基础研究产出的影响越来越大。必须深化基础研究体制机制改革，发挥好制度、政策的价值驱动和战略牵引作用。要稳步增加基础研究财政投入，通过税收优惠等多种方式激励企业加大投入，鼓励社会力量设立科学基金、科学捐赠等多元投入，提升国家自然科学基金及其联合基金资助效能，建立完善竞争性支持和稳定支持相结合的基础研究投入机制。要优化国家科技计划基础研究支持体系，完善基础研究项目组织、申报、评审和决策机制，实施差异化分类管理和国际国内同行评议，组织开展面向重大科学问题的协同攻关，鼓励自由探索式研究和非共识创新研究。要处理好新型举国体制与市场机制的关系，健全同基础研究长周期相匹配的科技评价激励、成果应用转化、科技人员薪酬等制度，长期稳定支持一批基础研究创新基地、优势团队和重点方向，打造原始创新策源地和基础研究先锋力量。
Xi Jinping emphasized that it is necessary to coordinate the construction of a national laboratory system with Chinese characteristics, lay out and build basic discipline research centers, deploy new basic scientific research information platforms in advance, and form a strong backbone network for basic research. We must scientifically plan the layout of forward-looking leading, strategic-oriented, and application-supporting major S&T infrastructure, strengthen the supervision during and after the construction of facilities, improve the whole life cycle management, and comprehensively improve the level of open sharing and operational efficiency. To fight the tough battle for the localization of S&T equipment, operating systems, and basic software, we must encourage scientific research institutions, universities, and enterprises to carry out joint research, improve the level of localization substitution and application scale, and strive to use China’s independent research platforms, instruments, and equipment to solve major basic research problems as soon as possible.
习近平强调，要协同构建中国特色国家实验室体系，布局建设基础学科研究中心，超前部署新型科研信息化基础平台，形成强大的基础研究骨干网络。要科学规划布局前瞻引领型、战略导向型、应用支撑型重大科技基础设施，强化设施建设事中事后监管，完善全生命周期管理，全面提升开放共享水平和运行效率。要打好科技仪器设备、操作系统和基础软件国产化攻坚战，鼓励科研机构、高校同企业开展联合攻关，提升国产化替代水平和应用规模，争取早日实现用我国自主的研究平台、仪器设备来解决重大基础研究问题。
Xi Jinping pointed out that strengthening basic research ultimately depends on high-level talents. Efforts must be made to build a systematic and high-level basic research talent training platform so that more basic research talents can emerge. We must increase support for various talent plans for basic research talents, foster and use strategic scientists and support young S&T talents to take on leading roles and heavy responsibilities, and continue to grow the leading S&T talent team and first-class innovation team. To improve the differentiated evaluation of basic research talents and long-term support mechanisms, we must give S&T leaders greater control over human resources and property and the right to choose technical routes and must construct an evaluation system that conforms to the laws of basic research and the laws of talent growth. To strengthen the construction of scientific research and academic style, we must guide S&T personnel to abandon exaggeration, rid themselves of impetuosity, and sit firmly on the “cold bench.” To uphold the road of self-cultivation of basic research talents, we must deeply implement the Middle School Student Talent Program, Strong Foundations Program, and Top-level Student Training Program for Basic Subjects. We must optimize the education system of basic disciplines, give full play to the role of universities, especially “Double First-Class” universities, as the main force in cultivating basic research talents, strengthen the fostering of high-level talents that the country urgently needs, and continuously create a large-scale basic research reserve force.
习近平指出，加强基础研究，归根结底要靠高水平人才。必须下气力打造体系化、高层次基础研究人才培养平台，让更多基础研究人才竞相涌现。要加大各类人才计划对基础研究人才支持力度，培养使用战略科学家，支持青年科技人才挑大梁、担重任，不断壮大科技领军人才队伍和一流创新团队。要完善基础研究人才差异化评价和长周期支持机制，赋予科技领军人才更大的人财物支配权和技术路线选择权，构建符合基础研究规律和人才成长规律的评价体系。要加强科研学风作风建设，引导科技人员摒弃浮夸、祛除浮躁，坐住坐稳“冷板凳”。要坚持走基础研究人才自主培养之路，深入实施“中学生英才计划”、“强基计划”、“基础学科拔尖学生培养计划”，优化基础学科教育体系，发挥高校特别是“双一流”高校基础研究人才培养主力军作用，加强国家急需高层次人才培养，源源不断地造就规模宏大的基础研究后备力量。
Xi Jinping emphasized that in order to solve the problems of common development, human beings require international cooperation and openness and sharing more than ever. To build an international basic research cooperation platform, we must set up a global scientific research fund, increase the opening up of national S&T plans, and expand and deepen Chinese-foreign joint scientific research around global issues such as climate change, energy security, biosecurity, and outer space utilization. To plan forward and deeply participate in global S&T governance, we must participate in or initiate the establishment of international S&T organizations and support domestic universities, scientific research institutes, and S&T organizations that connect with the international community. To enhance openness, trust, and cooperation in the international S&T community, to make new and greater contributions to the progress of human civilization with more major original innovations and breakthroughs in key core technologies, and to effectively safeguard China’s S&T security interests.
习近平强调，人类要破解共同发展难题，比以往任何时候都更需要国际合作和开放共享。要构筑国际基础研究合作平台，设立面向全球的科学研究基金，加大国家科技计划对外开放力度，围绕气候变化、能源安全、生物安全、外层空间利用等全球问题，拓展和深化中外联合科研。要前瞻谋划和深度参与全球科技治理，参加或发起设立国际科技组织，支持国内高校、科研院所、科技组织同国际对接。要努力增进国际科技界开放、信任、合作，以更多重大原始创新和关键核心技术突破为人类文明进步作出新的更大贡献，并有效维护我国的科技安全利益。
Xi Jinping pointed out that the spirit of “Two Bombs, One Satellite,” born out of the generations of China’s S&T workers through continuous struggle, along with the westward spirit, the spirit of manned spaceflight, the scientist spirit, the lunar exploration spirit, and the Beidou spirit of the new era have together shaped the innovation ecology with Chinese characteristics and become an inexhaustible driving force to support the development of basic research. To vigorously promote the scientific spirit of pursuing truth and always reaching for the summit throughout the whole of society, we must extensively publicize the advanced models and deeds that have emerged in the fields of basic research and other S&T, guide the vast number of S&T workers through education to inherit the glorious tradition of the older generation of scientists who pledge themselves to the country and who have cared about the people, that they write their theses into the earth of the motherland. To strengthen national science popularization capacity building, we must deeply implement actions to improve the scientific quality of the whole people, disseminate scientific knowledge and demonstrate S&T achievements through multiple channels online and offline, and establish a social trend of adoring and advocating for science. To excel in the “addition” of science education in the “Double Reduction” of education, we must stimulate young people’s curiosity, imagination, and desire to explore and foster a group of young people who have the potential of scientists and are willing to dedicate themselves to scientific research.
习近平指出，我国几代科技工作者通过接续奋斗铸就的“两弹一星”精神、西迁精神、载人航天精神、科学家精神、探月精神、新时代北斗精神等，共同塑造了中国特色创新生态，成为支撑基础研究发展的不竭动力。要在全社会大力弘扬追求真理、永攀高峰的科学精神，广泛宣传基础研究等科技领域涌现的先进典型和事迹，教育引导广大科技工作者传承老一辈科学家以身许国、心系人民的光荣传统，把论文写在祖国的大地上。要加强国家科普能力建设，深入实施全民科学素质提升行动，线上线下多渠道传播科学知识、展示科技成就，树立热爱科学、崇尚科学的社会风尚。要在教育“双减”中做好科学教育加法，激发青少年好奇心、想象力、探求欲，培育具备科学家潜质、愿意献身科学研究事业的青少年群体。
Finally, Xi Jinping emphasized that leading cadres at all levels should learn S&T knowledge and carry forward the scientific spirit, actively step forward to solve problems for S&T workers, loosen ties and reduce burdens, cheer and encourage, and implement a series of strategic deployments of the Party Central Committee on technological innovation.
习近平最后强调，各级领导干部要学习科技知识、发扬科学精神，主动靠前为科技工作者排忧解难、松绑减负、加油鼓劲，把党中央关于科技创新的一系列战略部署落到实处。