China must use science and technology to its full advantage in order to sustain the nation's growth and development into the coming years.

This was the message of President Xi Jinping to participants attending a symposium on internet and cyberspace security recently held in Beijing, reported the China Daily.

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And this was essentially the same message the president delivered during a field study tour he participated in China's Anhui province, stressing the Chinese government's increased focus on science and technology.

In Xi's visit to the University of Science and Technology of China, he was presented with the institution's latest achievements in the areas of artificial intelligence, public security and alternative energy.

The president was also given a tour of the control center of the 2,000-kilometer Beijing-Shanghai quantum communication main network, which will be fully operational in the second half of this year

He likewise visited the university's Laboratory of Physic Science for Advanced Medical Application.

In a meeting with faculty members, researchers and students, Xi lauded the inroads made by the university to promote innovation and new technologies.

He also urged them to show a greater "sense of mission" by helping to educate more people in China, and at the same time, work towards unleashing the full potential of science and technology.

Xi noted that it would not do well for an economy of China's size to be too reliant on imports for its science and technology-related initiatives.

Zhang Xiaojun, vice-president of Anhui Huami Information Technology, which has investments in the leading Chinese mobile phone producer Xiaomi, was among the technology industry leaders who had the opportunity to dialogue with the president.

He said Xi's comments will inspire China's science and technology companies to help boost the Chinese economy through the development, for instance, of smart wearable gadgets. 

Tagschina, Science and Technology, Chinese President Xi jinping