He Wei, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), led a team to Northwest China's Shaanxi province from July 10-to 14, to review and inspect the enforcement of the Law on Progress of Science and Technology.

The team visited enterprises, universities, scientific research institutes, laboratories, workshops and industrial parks in the cities of Xi'an, Tongchuan and Xianyang, as well as the Yangling Agricultural High-tech Industrial Demonstration Zone, to review how the law has been implemented. The team also held symposiums to listen to opinions and suggestions of local officials, representatives of new material enterprises and new research and development institutions on the enforcement of the law.

He, also chairman of the Central Committee of the Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party, said during the inspection that Shaanxi has conscientiously implemented the law and advanced scientific and technological innovation, which has led to significant results.

Stressing the vital importance of promoting scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement, he urged local governments to strengthen the publicity of the law, establish an efficient, collaborative, and open innovation system, introduce more incentives to motivate scientific and technological personnel, and develop a social environment and institutional mechanisms that are conducive to technological innovation.

He also called for further efforts on tightening the pertinence and effectiveness of supervision over the enforcement of the law, and on highlighting the overall design and collaborative promotion of scientific and technological innovation.

Zhao Yide, secretary of the Communist Party of China Shaanxi Provincial Committee and director of the Standing Committee of the Shaanxi Provincial People’s Congress, called on all local governments to carry out surveys and self-inspection on implementation of the law, and to promote public knowledge and understanding of it.

Zhao also pledged that Shaanxi will continue to advance and accelerate the cause of building Xi'an into a city of "dual centers", namely, a comprehensive national science center and a scientific and technological innovation center with national influence.