Chinese Association for science and technology's 2020 New Year speech

Wan Gang, president of the China Association for Science and Technology

Huai Jinpeng, vice president of the China Association for Science and Technology

Spring sunshine is always desirable for everyone and season's turning brings new look to everything.

As the year 2020 is drawing near, we would like to extend, on behalf of the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST), our sincere New Year greetings to all the science and technology workers in China.

Looking back on 2019, we have had a year of joy and glory. The grand celebrations of the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China (PRC) echoed fervent anthem of New China and praised endeavors of the people in the new era. The Chinese science and technology workers, bearing in mind their responsibilities, have made numerous breakthroughs in scientific research and technological innovation breakthroughs: The Chang'e-4 lunar probe successfully landed on the far side of the moon for the first time.The crucial early stage in primate embryo development was revealed. New proofs were discovered that artemisinin is still "the best weapon" against malaria. 5G Network was launched ahead of schedule. 600 km/h driverless Maglev trains made debut. The atomically precise and custom-design graphene origami was developed. To name just a few, all these achievements embody the great passion of science and technology workers to make contributions through hard work for the PRC's 70th founding anniversary and to enriching the knowledge treasury of mankind.

With science and technology, CAST made collaborative efforts for realizing the Chinese dream of great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Over the past year, under the strong leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), CAST has served China's national development through both inheritance and innovation while remaining committed to its founding mission.

We set up the CAST Party School to study deeply and communicate widely Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and advocate the spirit of scientists and the spirit of workmanship in the science community and the whole society. Nationally, with such initiatives as the National Science and Technology Workers Day and the National Science Popularization Day, we have enhanced the ability of science and technology workers to promote development through collaboration. By these initiatives, we have guided science and technology workers to provide consultation services to decision makers, to pursue innovation and to popularize science. Through their voluntary services, science and technology workers have put into practice the principle that science and technology should serve the people, thereby helping promote the public science literacy and sparking the young generation's interests in science. Internationally, we have expanded space for exchanges and cooperation. We started such open platforms as the World Science and Technology Development Forum to promote mutual trust, cooperation and development and to contribute China's wisdom to global governance. Locally, science and technology associations at all levels have continued to be community- and people-focused in their work. They have built their associations as homes of science and technology workers to promote collaboration and cooperation for making scientific and technological achievements. The science and technology associations at all levels have also contributed their efforts to reducing poverty, helping those in need in a timely manner, resolving conflicts, and rallying public supports. By doing so, they have given science and technology workers and the general public a greater sense of gain, happiness and security.

Looking into 2020, we expect a year full of opportunities and challenges. To secure a decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and achieve our first centennial goal, we have to deal with the complex and fast-changing circumstances both at home and abroad. We are having a burgeoning round of technological revolution and industrial transformation taking place at a time when China is undergoing socioeconomic transformation and seeking high-quality development. By integrating with economy, society, culture and ecology, science and technology are exerting profound influence on the reshaping of the system, advantage and pattern of global governance. The recently concluded fourth plenary session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC has outlined a great blueprint for the modernization of China's national governance, setting up a broad stage for science and technology workers to achieve successful career. Now, science and technology are linking with China and China is linking with the world more closely than ever. We must shoulder our historical responsibility and work hard to advance sci-tech governance, support China’s governance and contribute to global governance.

We are living in a time that calls for innovative endeavors. It is the responsibility of science and technology workers to support national governance and help lay the foundation of a great cause. We must rally more closely around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. We must strengthen our consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core, and keep in alignment; increase our confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics; and resolutely uphold General Secretary Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, and resolutely uphold the Party Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership. We must contribute our wisdom and strength to the building of China into a science and technology giant, the modernization of national governance, and the realization of the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.