President Xi Jinping on Saturday expressed China's willingness to strengthen the scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation with scientists and international organizations from all over the world, saying the joint promotion of the development of the global scientific progress would benefit the mankind.

In a congratulatory letter sent to the Greater Bay Science Forum 2021, which opened in Guangzhou, Xi said the world is undergoing changes unseen in a century and global technology innovation has intensified and become more active. A new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial reform has brought a profound impact on the global economic structure, he added.

Xi called for strengthening research on major scientific issues, facilitating breakthroughs in science and technology obstacles and deepening collaboration on key scientific projects.

Xi said the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area should focus on the strategic positioning of building an international scientific and technological innovation highland and promote development of emerging industries.

The Greater Bay Science Forum 2021, with the theme of "Exploring the Future, Sharing Scientific Achievement", has brought together leading scientists and international scientific organizations to discuss the global trend of scientific development and their implications for the future.

Zhao Yuliang, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said the forum would influence the future of science and technology innovation in the entire Greater Bay Area.

"A very important factor of scientific and technological innovation is the exchange of talent and resource flow," said Zhao, also director of the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology.

The Greater Bay Area, a region where Guangdong, one of China's economic powerhouses, and Hong Kong and Macao converge, has become a rising new star in China's development, thanks to introduction of a large number of scientific and technological resource and elements in recent years, according to Zhao.