Xi pushes envelope on research amid frontier tech race
President Xi Jinping on Thursday urged greater efforts and more concrete measures to strengthen basic research, enhance China's capacity for original innovation, and further solidify the foundation for building the country's strength in science and technology. Xi made the remarks while attending a symposium on strengthening basic research in Shanghai as the global race to dominate frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence intensifies. "Global technological competition is increasingly centred on basic and frontier fields, and the importance of original and disruptive innovations is becoming increasingly prominent," Xi was quoted as saying. He urged the country to improve top-level design for basic research, build talent, raise the share of funding devoted to the field and deepen international co-operation, including on climate change, energy, the environment and health. (Reuters & Xinhua) Edited by Thomas McAlinden