Guan-hua Xu: China's move toward being a country of innovation

As the former Minister of China's Ministry of Science & Technology (MoST), Guan-hua Xu has witnessed, and personally contributed to, China's science and technology (S&T) development during the critical period of the country's transition into a great economic power. During his tenure at MoST and its predecessor (1995–2007), he promoted the reform of research institutions, initiated some of the Nation's most significant research and development (R&D) projects, and coordinated the formulation of China's National Outline for the Medium to Long Term Science and Technology Development Plan (2006–2020). As a distinguished scientist specializing in remote sensing, Xu has devoted much of his career over the past two decades to S&T policy and management. Since leaving the ministry, he has further explored fundamental issues surrounding China's S&T development, and recently collected his thoughts in a book entitled ‘Towards a Country of Innovation’ (Beijing: Science Press, 2014). In this recent interview with NSR, Xu summarized his view of the problems China faces in becoming an innovative country, and offered his recommendations for drastic reform of China's S&T system.