Zhang Xiaoqiang, a member of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and former vice chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, speaks to China.org.cn during the ongoing annual session of the top political advisory body on March 9, 2016 in Beijing. [Photo by Zhang Rui / China.org.cn]

A political advisor has told China.org.cn that science and technology innovation is leading all other developments, but will still face various challenges during the 13thFive Year Plan.

Zhang Xiaoqiang, a member of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and former vice chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, is attending the annual session of the top political advisory body which runs until March 14.

"China has very big economic scale though, it also has huge population as well as a small share of natural resources per capita," he said. "On the traditional industrialization path, the patterns of high capital investment and high resource consumption cannot continue. So, we have to rely on innovation, especially in science and technology, to realize sustainable development, break the socio and economic development bottleneck and overcome the 'Middle Income Trap.'"

The five concepts of development of being innovation-driven, coordinated, green, oriented toward global progress and beneficial to all, are the main themes in the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020). Among the five concepts, Zhang said, innovative development is leading. However, there are still problems.

"China's relevant systems and mechanisms are still not adapted to the new era, no matter whether it is the scientific research management system, or the system of the commercialization of scientific achievements." he said. " As for the protection of the intellectual property, we still haven't done enough. "

He pointed out, "Inventing something is really hard. It will be devastating if a hard-won innovation is quickly followed by many copycats. No one will want to work hard on innovation."

Zhang also worried about the innovative spirit.

"We talk of 'mass entrepreneurship and innovation,' but I'm afraid at present only scientific research institutions and universities are really into fundamental research. Our industrial enterprises, especially medium- and small-sized ones haven't started enough innovative initiatives in terms of technology. Their R&D input is still less than 1 percent of their total revenue, far lower than the rate in the developed countries, where their multinational companies are always leading the innovation areas. "

The political advisor said he expected to see system and mechanism reforms and better tax policies to encourage innovation. He also hoped the revenue and license fees of the intellectual property could be better enforced to give innovators a greater share. As for how to ensure commercialization of innovative products so they smoothly enter the market, he said the barriers in examination and approval procedures should be removed.

Zhang said there is huge demand for innovation in the areas of aerospace technologies, advanced manufacturing, new energy, technologies to fight climate change, photovoltaics, wind power, biomedicine and more.

"In these areas, when the technologies develop, you will see them indeed transferred into real production power for the Chinese economy."