Scientists and experts promised to maintain a patriotic and hardworking spirit and make greater strides in science and technology to promote national and social development.
Sixty-two experts made the pledge during a six-day retreat at Beidaihe, a popular seaside resort in Qinhuangdao, Hebei Province, that ended on Wednesday. Most of the invited experts work in scientific fields and hail from western China.
"The invitation showcases the great respect and care the central authorities have for intellectuals. It is a great encouragement to us," Liao Heping, a geology professor at Southwest University in Chongqing, told Xinhua News Agency.
Since 2001, more than 1,000 experts in various fields have been invited to the resort at Beidaihe by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council.
Chen Xi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, extended greetings and good wishes to the scientists and experts on Saturday on behalf of President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee. Chen also held a symposium to ask for their opinions and suggestions.
Chen, who is also the head of the committee's Organization Department, encouraged scholars to turn their love for the country into a drive for innovation, and to use their research for national and social progress.
Li Jincheng, the chief designer for Qinghai-Tibet Railway, the world's highest and longest plateau railway, said his survey team had to cross a swampy no man's land on foot while being battered by storms and hail to ensure the railway was built more efficiently and economically.
"We must continue this fearless, patriotic and dedicated spirit in our future work," Li said. "This is so we can contribute to the nation's railroads and the realization of the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation."
Huang Ru, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and an expert on integrated circuits, said he is concerned that core electronic technologies are so dependent on other countries.
"Integrated circuits are the bloodline for industries, and a necessary factor for building a technologically advanced nation," Huang said.
"Despite our recent process, we still have a huge gap with other advanced countries. Therefore our generation has the huge responsibility of combining our research with national needs and overcoming obstacles."
To do this, top talent, especially young talent, is the key, said Liu Weimin, a researcher at the Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
"We have to create a favorable environment for new talent to shine, so our work in technology and innovation will have qualified successors," Liu said.
