China has set up more than 13,000 associations for science and technology for enterprises to boost the country's innovative capacity.

At a conference held last December to mark the 50th founding anniversary of the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST), Chinese President Hu Jintao called for stepped up efforts in turning China into an innovation-oriented country.

"The galloping science and technology had become a key factor in the fierce competition in overall national strength among countries in the world," he said.

Statistics from the CAST show that 13 of the country's 54 high-tech areas have set up their own associations for science and technology, with members totaling 3.27 million.

In addition, China has also set up more than 550 similar associations in colleges, 30,000 in villages and towns and over 8,400 in communities. About 100,000 special technique associations have been set up in rural areas to aid farmers' work, according to the CAST.

(Xinhua News Agency January 30, 2009)