Chinese Vice Premier Huang Ju said Wednesday that China should enhance the capacity of independent innovation in its defense industry and defense-related scientific and technological research.

Addressing the working conference on the industry, science and technology for national defense, Huang said the defense industry is of strategic importance.

It is an important sector of the advanced manufacturing industry and a significant force of the country's scientific and technological innovation system, he said.

Huang confirmed the new achievements made in the industry, such as the successful launching of China's second manned spacecraft Shenzhou VI?and improvements made in state-owned enterprise reform.

The scientific and technological research of China's defense industry should stick to the policy of combining peaceful and wartime needs and integrating military with civilian purposes to improve industrial structures, said Huang.

High-technology sectors such as information, biology, new materials, new energy and aviation and spaceflight should be taken as a new growth sectors, he said.

Huang emphasized that the whole industry should make more efforts in enhancing its independent innovation capacities, advancing reforms of state-owned enterprises and improving the education and training of professional personnel.

(Xinhua News Agency January 5, 2006)