On May 7, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Innovation Avenue in Zhongguancun, a technology hub dubbed as China's Silicon Valley.

Li said that promoting entrepreneurship and innovation is a major move to bring out the wisdom and creativity of the masses as well as an important way to make the country more prosperous and its people better off.

He urged elimination of barriers and restrictions to make entrepreneurship and innovation the new forces to drive China’s economic and social development. 

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visits the Institute of Physics, CAS.

During his visit to the Institute of Physics of the CAS, the premier learned about achievements in basic research and innovation. While visiting the National Lab for Superconductivity and the Beijing Laboratory of Electron Microscopy under the institute, Li praised the progress made in research and independent development of equipment in relevant fields. He urged more support for basic research to bolster applied research and industrial upgrading.  　　  

He also talked with academicians and young scientist representatives, and congratulated the Academic Divisions of the CAS, on its 60th anniversary. 　　  

The premier said that China presents a broader stage for scientists and researchers as it moves to support entrepreneurship and innovation. He called on CAS scientists to set their sights on the world’s scientific frontiers, meet new needs of China’s economic and social development, enhance transfer of research achievements into industrial application, and strive to become the pacesetter of China’s innovative development in a world full of competition. 　　  

Li also visited 3W Coffee, a cafe frequented by young IT engineers in Zhongguancun Innovation Avenue, and chatted with a group of startup entrepreneurs over coffee. He said entrepreneurship and innovation will be fundamental to ensure China’s stable growth and employment, and thus the whole society should create conditions to promote the country’s emerging entrepreneurial spirits as well as encourage integration and interaction among various innovation elements, making entrepreneurs an important icon for an innovative China and its smart economy. 

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visits Legendstar, which was co-founded by the CAS and Legend Holdings.

During his visit to Legendstar, a training center for technology startups co-founded by the CAS and Legend Holdings, Li talked to trainees from enterprises across the nation. He praised the program for its aim of cultivating people that create wealth. He urged the country’s incubators to serve as nurseries for entrepreneurs through helping startups address their immediate concerns and laying a solid foundation for their future growth. 　　  

In addition, Li visited the Zhongguancun Innovation Avenue’s reception hall, which offers convenient and preferential services to micro- and small- businesses and entrepreneurs in a variety of aspects, including law, finance, human resources, intellectual property rights protection and selection of places to start a business.  　　  

Li hoped that improved supervision and services will help remove barriers to entrepreneurship while setting up platforms in support of entrepreneurs’ ambitions.