He Guoqiang, a member of the Political Bureau and of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, was speaking yesterday in Beijing at a meeting with three Nobel Prize laureates and Chinese scientists who were attending a symposium on life sciences.

The three Nobel Prize winners in attendance were: Torsten N. Wiesel, physiologist and former president of Rockefeller University, Robert Huber, biochemist and director of the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, and Hartmut Michel, biologist and director of the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics.

He, who is also head of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, said the bio-technology industry -- a high-tech industry with great potential -- was an important new growth area for the economy following the information industry and a focus for China's development.

Therefore, China has attached great importance to its development, paying special attention to its initiatives and applications, as well as bio-safety, noted He.

China has been working to make major breakthroughs in this regard in line with its own conditions under the guidance of both the government and market, relying on both self-development and technological introduction, said He.

He went on to say the guideline for China's scientific and technological cooperation with overseas partners was equality, mutual benefit, intellectual property protection and international practices.

He voiced his appreciation for their support for the development of life sciences and bio-technology in China and briefed them on China's achievements as a result of its reform and opening-up policy initiated over two decades ago.

(Xinhua News Agency February 18, 2003)