Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Thursday that innovation is his biggest expectation for Chinese new champions.

Wen made the remark while answering a question from World Economic Forum (WEF) Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab at the Inaugural Annual Meeting of the New Champions hosted by the WEF in China's northeastern coastal city of Dalian.

Innovation means creation in products, technology, management and system, no matter it is a state-owned enterprise or in other forms, said the premier.

China launched the reform of state-owned enterprises years ago with the goal of establishing a modern corporate system while developing a group of enterprises of various ownership.

Many new champions have risen from those enterprises in such sectors as information and telecommunications, environmental protection and high and new technology, said Wen.

Only through innovation can an enterprise play its due role in economic and social development and resolve its problems in quality and efficiency, the premier said.

(Xinhua News Agency September 7, 2007)