Zhang Bing, Party secretary of Jiaxing, East China's Zhejiang province, proposes treating major technological innovation platforms as new types of infrastructure. [Photo/WeChat account: jxfabu]

Zhang Bing, Party secretary of Jiaxing, East China's Zhejiang province, proposed treating technological innovation platforms as a new type of infrastructure, Jiaxing Daily reported on May 24.

Zhang made the proposal during a panel discussion among deputies to the National People's Congress from Zhejiang province.

He also suggested that these platforms receive special government support.

This will not only stabilize economic development in the short term, but also lead to stronger long-term development, according to Zhang.

Innovation-driven development is one of China's key development strategies, making scientific and technological innovation a means of improving social productivity and comprehensive national strength, he continued.

Zhang also quoted the government work report as saying that China will help companies increase investment in research, accelerate the construction of national laboratories, and develop social research institutes.

He expressed strong support for these decisions.

Building technological innovation platforms has promoted local economic and social development in Jiaxing, noted Zhang.

The Yangtze Delta Region Institute of Tsinghua University, located in Jiaxing, is the first try-out of the joint construction of innovation platforms between institutes and local government.

With the help of the aforementioned institute, Jiaxing has managed to introduce 370 such platforms, including the Zhejiang Institute of Advanced Technology affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Zhang said that the city has always focused on the development of technological innovation platforms, and three such platforms have been established in Jiaxing this year.