'High fences and small yards' 'decoupling' cannot impede China's tech progress: FM

BEIJING, March 7 (Xinhua) -- "High fences and small yards" cannot suppress the spirit of innovation, and decoupling and supply chains disruption will only lead to self-isolation, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Friday.

Speaking at a press conference on the sidelines of the annual session of the country's national legislature, Wang said science and technology should not be used to put up an iron curtain, but should be the wealth that benefits all and is shared by all.

"Where there is blockade, there is breakthrough; where there is suppression, there is innovation," said Wang when responding to a question on U.S. tech suppression on China.

Noting that unjustified external suppression on China, be it in space science or chip making, has never stopped, Wang said China's path to becoming a science and technology powerhouse is growing wider.

Wang invoked the legend of Nezha, a Chinese mythological figure known for his courage to defy bullying powers, saying that China's sci-tech advancements can "soar into the sky" despite "the fiercest storm."

Wang cited China's recent tech innovations including the Shenzhou crewed space missions, the Chang'e lunar exploration program, 5G, quantum computing and DeepSeek.

To promote the common development of humanity, China has taken real measures to implement the Global AI Governance Initiative put forth by President Xi Jinping, and released the AI Capacity-Building Action Plan for Good and for All, Wang said.

China also proposed the Initiative on International Cooperation in Open Science together with Brazil, South Africa and the African Union, calling on all to give priority to sci-tech capacity-building of the Global South so that no country is left behind, Wang added.

China is "ready to share the fruits of its innovation with more countries and jointly explore the mysteries of the stars and oceans," Wang said.