Chinese Premier Li Qiang chaired a State Council executive meeting on Friday to discuss work on scientific and technological innovation and hear a report on the high-quality development of the marine economy.

Calling for greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology, the meeting stressed that efforts must be intensified to achieve original and pioneering sci-tech breakthroughs, strengthen basic research, and build innovation hubs with global influence.

It is necessary to strengthen the principal role of enterprises in innovation, support qualified enterprises to participate in major research projects and key national strategic tasks, promote coordinated development among industries, universities and research institutes, and deepen the integration of sci-tech and industrial innovation, according to the meeting.

The meeting also highlighted the need to advance high-quality development of the marine economy and step up efforts to build China into a strong maritime country.

Efforts should be made to enhance strategic sci-tech capabilities in the marine sector, help the marine industry grow stronger, perform better and scale up, open up more space for marine economic development, and play a substantive role in global ocean governance, the meeting noted.

The meeting also reviewed and approved a draft revision of the regulations on procedures for the formulation of administrative regulations, stressing the need to ensure their solid implementation.