High-quality growth of manufacturing next key strategic task, says former minister

China should promote the next level integration of the innovation chain and industrial chain, and speed up the improvement of systems and mechanisms that are conducive to the high-quality development of its manufacturing sector, said former minister of industry and information technology.

Promoting the high-quality growth of the manufacturing industry is a major strategic task in China's economic development at present and in the future. In the four-tier structure of global manufacturing business, China is in the third echelon, and it will take at least 30 years to achieve the goal of becoming a manufacturing powerhouse, said Miao Wei, deputy director of the Economic Affairs Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

Even though China's manufacturing industry has made great achievements in recent years, it still faces the challenge of being big but not strong, he said, adding many fundamental capabilities of are still weak and key core technologies are restricted by other economies, he said.

The notable decline of manufacturing business in China's GDP will not only drag down the current economic growth and affect urban employment, but will also generate potential industrial safety hazards, and weaken the country's anti-risk capabilities and international competitiveness, Miao added.

Under such circumstances, China must deepen the reform of the scientific and technological system, scientifically allocate resources, promote the deep integration of the innovation chain, industrial chain, policy chain, capital chain and talent chain in the next stage, he said.

Miao said it is necessary to accelerate the establishment of a technological innovation system with companies as the mainstay, actively explore new ways to give play to the advantages of the new nationwide system to enhance the coordination of science and technology, industries and government branches.