Hybrid rice, cloned monkeys and mythical dragons

Dou Xiankang, president of Wuhan University, said China was still lacking in some key technological fields such as microchip and engine manufacturing, which could hamper the nation's socioeconomic development.

"To overcome these obstacles, the first thing is to attract and build a team of young, high-quality talented people," he said.

"The second is to increase investment in human capital, as well as more government support. Solving these bottleneck issues will require patience and time, but I am sure we will have fewer such issues in the future."

Illustrations by Yao Er and Song Chen/China Daily