On the afternoon of March 6, President Xi Jinping visited national political advisors attending a joint group meeting at the fourth session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top political advisory body.

He joined the discussion with CPPCC National Committee members from the Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party, the Jiusan Society, the sector of medicine and health, and the sector of welfare and social security. Xi heard their comments and suggestions.

At the meeting, six political advisors, including Jiang Jiandong, delivered remarks on their respective topics.

Jiang, a professor at the institute of pharmaceutical sciences at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, spoke about advancing innovative drug research and development.

"Over the past two decades, China's pharmaceutical industry has progressed from imitation to refinement and now to innovation, achieving multiple leaps," Jiang said. "During this period, China has risen from being ranked outside the top 20 globally to a leading position today in the field of pharmacy."

Xi expressed his approval: "Multiple breakthroughs are now being made in the development of new and innovative drugs."

Jiang described the meeting as both motivating and demanding. "President Xi's deep concern for people's health left a very strong impression on me," he said. Inspired by the discussion, Jiang said he plans to focus on building a more complete system for pharmaceutical innovation in the future, from original scientific discoveries to clinical trials and commercialization.