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

In a congratulatory letter sent on Saturday to the opening of the Greater Bay Science Forum 2021 in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, Xi said the world is undergoing changes unseen in a century and global technological innovation has intensified and become more active.

A new period of scientific and technological revolution and industrial reform is having a profound impact on the global economic structure, he added.

Xi called for strengthening research on major scientific issues, facilitating breakthroughs to overcome scientific technological obstacles and deepening collaboration on key scientific projects.

He 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 its implications for the future.

Zhao Yuliang, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said the Greater Bay Science Forum 2021 will influence the future of scientific and technological 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, who is also director of the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology.