President Xi Jinping presided over a meeting with foreign experts in Shanghai on May 22nd. Prof. Ralf Altmeyer, Director General of Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences was invited as one of five panelists to present his experience and recommendations as a virologist working in China in the field of drug discovery for pediatric infectious diseases. President Xi thanked Prof Altmeyer for his well thought-through remarks and presented his vision for improvement of the country’s attractivity to foreign experts.

Prof. Ralf Altmeyer and Prof. Brigitte Gicquel who is Visiting Professor of IPS-CAS were two of 50 foreign experts from 22 countries invited by President Xi to a symposium on China's development and talent policy. The meeting was high on President Xi's agenda after he attended the fourth summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia.

Prof. Ralf Altmeyer addressed the symposium along with other four experts and scholars in fields of education, space engineering, physics and finance. He proposed suggestions on how to build China into an innovative country from the prospective of introduction of high-level talents, building favorable environment for innovative entrepreneurship and so on.

In respond, President Xi expressed concerned about the proposals and though highly of the efforts of the foreign experts to introduce advanced technology and ideas to China. He said China would always remain devoted to learning, would learn modestly from the world no matter how well it developed, and would openly enhance learning and exchanges with other countries. Describing foreign experts as "private ambassadors" and members of the Chinese family, President Xi called on them to communicate a "comprehensive, true and dynamic China" to the world. President Xi urged government agencies to improve the system for bringing in foreign experts, to protect their intellectual property rights, safeguard their legitimate rights and award outstanding cases. "Opinions, analysis and merciless criticism from you will be conducive for us to face up to our own problems and solve those difficult ones," Xi told his guests.

Prof. Ralf Altmeyer said President Xi's meeting with them showed China's willingness to open to the outside world and strengthen exchanges with other countries, vowing to make greater contributions to building an innovative China in their respective posts.

Chinese President Xi Jinping enters the venue to attend a meeting with foreign experts in Shanghai

Prof. Ralf Altmeyer proposes suggestions on how to build China into an innovative country

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a meeting with foreign experts in Shanghai