China moved up its ranking at the Global Innovation Index 2021 as technology played a significant role in the high-quality development of the nation's modernization drive last year.

China ranked 12th in the index, up 22 places from ten years earlier, Minister of Science and Technology Wang Zhigang said at the "Ministers' Corridor" after the second plenary meeting of the fifth session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) on March 8.

Businesses have been playing an increasingly important role in innovation.

In 2021, total R&D investment in China reached 2.79 trillion yuan (about $442 billion), a year-on-year increase of 14.2 percent, of which 76 percent came from enterprises. The turnover of technology contracts surpassed 3.7 trillion yuan last year, of which 90 percent came from enterprises, Wang shared.

The minister said 79 percent of the country's National Key Research and Development Program was led or supported by enterprises playing leading roles in areas such as high-speed railway, 5G, nuclear power, new energy vehicles, the Olympic Winter Games and the fight against COVID-19.

China, he said, had established scientific and technological cooperation with more than 160 countries and regions, and joined forces with more than 200 international organizations and multilateral mechanisms involving science and technology.

"For example, in terms of the anti-epidemic fight, we have co-operated with 17 countries including the US, the UK, Malaysia, and South Africa on the research and development of vaccines, drugs, and testing reagents," he said. "In the past year, we have signed 21 new intergovernmental scientific and technological cooperation agreements."

The minister also stressed the significance of developing talent in science and technology. He said it's important to give young people more opportunities and develop science and technology projects to allow them to show their skills on the platform for scientific and technological innovation.

As March 8 marks International Women's Day, Wang sent his best wishes to women and noted that his ministry and the All China Women's Federation jointly released measures last year to support female scientists in scientific and technological fields.