The National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) held a consultation meeting in Beijing on July 21 on the handling of a key proposal regarding the fostering of young sci-tech talents in key fields. CPPCC National Committee Vice-Chairman Zhu Yongxin attended the meeting and delivered remarks.

Zhu emphasized that since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2012, the CPC Central Committee has attached great importance to building a strong cohort of young sci-tech talents. He called for a thorough understanding of the new tasks and challenges in supporting such talents and for coordinated measures that are both suited to China's national conditions and align with the laws of scientific development.

Efforts should focus on cultivating talents for the Party and the State, setting a clear development direction for young scientists and researchers, Zhu said. He also emphasized deepening reform of related mechanisms and improving policy support and evaluation systems to develop an innovation-friendly ecosystem for young talents. Additionally, addressing their practical needs is essential to ensure that well-intended policies deliver real results, he said.

Xu Yanhao, deputy head of the Committee on Education, Science, Health and Sports of the CPPCC National Committee, chaired the meeting and, on behalf of the China Association for Science and Technology participating group of the CPPCC, introduced the proposal's background and key recommendations. 

Representatives from departments responsible for handling the proposal, including the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the China Association for Science and Technology, provided updates on the progress of proposal handling and responded to related questions.

The meeting also involved discussions on the handling of four related proposals, which are focused on boosting the development of young sci-tech talents in higher education institutions, establishing an early training system for top-tier innovative talents, improving support mechanisms for researchers in major national science projects, and strengthening the development of young interdisciplinary professionals.