China is stepping up efforts to build the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as international sci-tech innovation centers.

The three sci-tech hubs account for 58.8% of the country's R&D spending and 81.1% of its PCT international patent applications, while helping drive innovation across the country, according to Yin Hejun, minister of science and technology.