QINGDAO, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing has called for the development of advanced manufacturing clusters, the integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation, further reform of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and better use of the strategic supporting role of the state-owned economy.

Zhang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during an inspection tour in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, which lasted from Tuesday to Wednesday.

He visited companies operating in sectors including smart home appliances, rail transit, and marine engineering equipment.

Zhang stressed that developing advanced manufacturing clusters is a key measure to advance industries toward the medium-to-high end and enhance the resilience and security of industrial and supply chains.

He called for innovation-driven industrial upgrading, with greater efforts to achieve original innovations and make breakthroughs in key core and common technologies.

Digital and intelligent upgrades of industrial clusters should be advanced by encouraging upstream and downstream enterprises to collaborate in digital transformation, he said.

Zhang underscored the need to unswervingly deepen the reform of SOEs to ensure that SOEs strengthen, optimize and expand their businesses.

He emphasized the need to enhance the role of SOEs as major innovators and focus on tackling scientific and technological challenges in line with national strategic needs, in order to better support the development of the innovation ecosystem in the country. ■