我们要实施科教兴国的战略。科技进步是经济发展的决定性因素，发展教育是科技进步的基础。世界范围内日趋激烈的经济竞争和综合国力的较量，归根结底是科技和人才的竞争。我国只有大力发展教育和科技事业，把经济发展切实转到依靠科技进步和提高劳动者素质的轨道上来，才能加快现代化进程，缩小与发达国家的差距。

We should implement¹ the strategy of developing the country by relying on science and education. Scientific and technological² progress is a decisive factor in economic development, and educational development is the foundation of scientific and technological progress. The increasingly acute worldwide economic competition and overall competition between nations are, in the final analysis, competition in science and technology and for competent people. Only by vigorously developing education and science and technology and really setting forth³ on the path of developing our economy by relying on scientific and technological advancements⁴ and improving the quality of our laborers⁵ can we accelerate the process of modernization⁶ and narrow the gap between China and the developed countries.

科教工作的根本任务，是提高全民族的思想道德素质、科学文化素质和创新能力。这是我国现代化事业进一步发展的需要，也是适应世界科技革命和经济竞争新形势的需要。

The fundamental task of our work in science and education is to elevate the ideological⁷ and ethical⁸ standards, the scientific and cultural level of the entire nation and its creative capabilities⁹. This is an imperative¹⁰ task which is dictated¹¹ by China’s need to further its modernization drive, to meet the requirements of the world’s emerging scientific and technological revolution and to compete well economically in the world market.

科技工作要注重在社会生产、流通、消费和环境保护等领域，大力推广先进适用技术。促进科技成果尤其是信息技术成果的商品化，完善社会化科技服务体系，使科技进步更好地为经济和社会服务，为人民生活服务。大力推进高等教育管理体制改革，合理配置和充分利用教育资源，提高教学质量和办学效益。实施全面素质教育，加强思想品德教育和美育，改革教学内容、课程设置和教学方法，以适应社会对各类人才的需要。

In our work in science and technology, we should strive to promote the use of applicable advanced technologies in the fields of production, distribution, consumption, environmental protection and other fields. We should also promote the commercialization of scientific and technological achievements, and especially advances in information technology. We should improve the system of socialized scientific and technological services so that achievements in science and technology will, in turn, better serve economic and social development and the well-being¹² of the people. We should vigorously promote the reform of management of higher education by means of judicious¹³ allocation and full use of educational resources so as to improve the quality of education and efficiency in school management. Emphasis should be laid on the improvement of ideological, moral and aesthetic¹⁴ education. Reforms should be carried out in school course contents, curriculum and teaching methods, in order to satisfy the society’s need for all types of qualified¹⁵ personnel.