It was learned on March 19 from the 2007 annual work conference of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) that a series of important scientific and technological achievements were scored in its intellectual innovation project in 2006 and that the whole CAS submitted a total of 4,092 patent applications.

At the conference CAS vice president Bai Chunli set important strategic tasks for the coming 5-15 years under the title "Build the Chinese Academy of Sciences into One of Reform and Innovation, Harmonious and Dauntless Advancement". That means to optimize the distribution, increase its innovative capacity, and vigorously strengthen its forward-looking planning. The innovation base and all research institutes should give greater support to advantageous areas that have important influence, and promote coordinated development of basic, strategic hi-tech research and research into sustainable economic and social development. CAS will go ahead with innovative structural reform and build a scientifically and technologically innovative regime of individual research institutes and combined innovation bases.Bai Chunli urged to open up further to the outside world through cooperation and management reform to create a friendly environment. It is also imperative to uphold the people-centered principle in building a new research team. 

In 2006 the whole CAS filed 4,092 patent applications, of which invention patents accounted for 86%; 2,111 obtained patent licenses, of which invent patents represented 73%. In terms of high quality papers published in journals whose impact factors are within top 15%, the total number recorded a substantial increase of 24.7% from the 2005 level, and 30 of them received national science awards. Academician Li Zhengsheng was granted a state supreme hi-tech award. 53 people won state preeminent youth science fund, making up 31.2% of the total in the country, and 14 research collectives earned "innovation research collective fund", representing 63.6% of the total in the country.

At the same time, the CAS undertook 41.5% of the total projects in the "973" plan, and 462 projects in the "863" plan. It further underwrote 71 projects, or 5% of the total under the National Scientific and Technical Support Plans, and 6 out of 12 state major infrastructure projects of science and technology during the "11th Five-Year Plan" period. The CAS also had 1,487 general projects approved and financed by NSFC , or16.4% of the total expenditure, and 90 key projects, with their expenditure accounting for 31.9% of the total.

Present at the meeting were also Lu Yongxiang, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the NPC, and president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and leaders from the State Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Finance, General Armament Department, Chinese Academy of Engineering, Chinese Science and Technology Association, State Commission of Natural Science Foundation and Beijing Municipality.