The first session of the 11th National Committee of the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) was held on July 11 in Beijing. At the meeting, the new leadership of the CAST was elected. Wang Guangqian, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, was elected chairman of the 11th CAST National Committee.

Sixteen people, including You Zheng, Bao Weimin, and Feng Shenhong, were elected vice-chairpersons. Fifty-six people, including Yu Junqing, were elected members of the 11th Standing Committee of the CAST. A decision was adopted at the meeting to confer the title of honorary chairman on Wan Gang and the title of honorary member on 33 individuals, including Ma Weiming.

Wang said that the new CAST National Committee must uphold the Party's overall leadership and firmly follow the development path of socialist mass organizations with Chinese characteristics. He urged the CAST National Committee to consciously incorporate its work into the overall cause of the Party and the State for coordinated planning, to consistently practice a correct view of governance performance, to uphold the sci-tech worker-centered principle, and to earnestly fulfill the responsibility of serving as a bridge connecting the Party and the government with sci-tech workers.

He called on the CAST National Committee to maintain the courage and resolve for self-reform, uphold fundamental principles while breaking new ground and have the courage to dismantle institutional and mechanistic barriers restricting the CAST's high-quality development. It is important to unite and lead the vast number of sci-tech workers to forge ahead with determination, pursue innovation, strive relentlessly to build a modern socialist country on all fronts and advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, he added.

On the same day, the first session of the 11th Standing Committee of the CAST was held. Upon nomination by the chairman and approval by the Standing Committee, He Junke was appointed first secretary of the 11th Secretariat of the CAST, and five individuals including Feng Shenhong were appointed members of the Secretariat.