Beijing, China - March 11, 2025 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Group interview ahead of closing meeting of third session of 14th National People's Congress (NPC) at Great Hall of the People in progress; reporters
2. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Li Donglin, president, CRRC Zhuzhou Institute Co., Ltd (starting with shot 1):
"Sci-tech innovation is the locomotive driving the industrial development. Our annual input in research and development accounts for more than 8 percent of our business revenue, focusing on addressing critical challenges in rail transport systems of safety, power, and control. We have succeeded in independently developing our own power chips and algorithm software, key components and system integration, strongly supporting China's comprehensive progress and global competitiveness in the rail transport sector."
3. Reporters; camera crew
4. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Li Donglin, president, CRRC Zhuzhou Institute Co., Ltd:
"There are over 400 enterprises in the supply chain for the rail transport industry in Zhuzhou, plus 28 national-class innovation platforms, and 34 vocational schools. A local saying goes that in the time it takes to drink a cup of coffee, resources can be gathered to produce up to 10,000 components for a locomotive. Such highly concentrated ecosystem pooling production, education and research has significantly shortened the time required to transform sci-tech achievements into practical applications. It has essentially forged a fast lane to turn ideas into products."
5. Reporters
6. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Li Donglin, president, CRRC Zhuzhou Institute Co., Ltd:
"Leveraging our accumulated expertise in rail transport, we have incubated and cultivated more sectors such as clean energy equipment and new energy vehicles. This has led to the formation of a dual-cluster development model, where transportation and energy equipment industries mutually support each other. Just to name our emerging energy storage industry, it has grown to lead the sector, effectively serving the transformation and upgrading of China's energy structure."
7. Reporters; camera crew

A deputy to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), who is also a representative of China's high-end equipment manufacturing industry, highlighted strategies to better integrate sci-tech innovation with industrial innovation on Tuesday.

Li Donglin, a member of the Hunan delegation who works at the Zhuzhou Institute Co., Ltd. under China's leading rail transport manufacturer, China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC), shared practical experiences and insights in a group interview prior to the closing meeting of the third session of the 14th NPC at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Zhuzhou City in central China's Hunan Province is known as the cradle of China's electric locomotives and boasts the country's largest rail transport equipment industrial cluster, producing around 30 percent of China's rail transport products, said Li.

The CRRC Zhuzhou Institute Co., Ltd., a company that evolved from a research institute, has successfully commercialized over 85 percent of its research achievements, with products reaching over 70 countries and regions, and a total output value of over 160 billion yuan (around 22.04 billion U.S. dollars) last year.

Li attributed these achievements first to leveraging sci-tech innovation as the driving force for industrial development.

"Sci-tech innovation is the locomotive driving the industrial development. Our annual input in research and development accounts for more than 8 percent of our business revenue, focusing on addressing critical challenges in rail transport systems of safety, power, and control. We have succeeded in independently developing our own power chips and algorithm software, key components and system integration, strongly supporting China's comprehensive progress and global competitiveness in the rail transport sector," he said.

Li then highlighted the efficient transformation of sci-tech achievements into industrial applications.

"There are over 400 enterprises in the supply chain for the rail transport industry in Zhuzhou, plus 28 national-class innovation platforms, and 34 vocational schools. A local saying goes that in the time it takes to drink a cup of coffee, resources can be gathered to produce up to 10,000 components for a locomotive. Such highly concentrated ecosystem pooling production, education and research has significantly shortened the time required to transform sci-tech achievements into practical applications. It has essentially forged a fast lane to turn ideas into products," he said.

"Leveraging our accumulated expertise in rail transport, we have incubated and cultivated more sectors such as clean energy equipment and new energy vehicles. This has led to the formation of a dual-cluster development model, where transportation and energy equipment industries mutually support each other. Just to name our emerging energy storage industry, it has grown to lead the sector, effectively serving the transformation and upgrading of China's energy structure," he said.

Finally, Li stressed the importance of a high-caliber talent pool in furthering sci-tech innovation for advanced manufacturing.

In recent years, his company has established cutting-edge laboratories and special talent zones to attract and retain top professionals in like AI, power electronics, and intelligent systems.

By collaborating with local governments to build research institutes on smart industries, Li said that his company has created a talent hub in inland cities, driving innovation in rail transport, aerospace, application of the homegrown Beidou navigation system, and other high-end equipment industries.