The China Soong Ching Ling Foundation (CSCLF) and the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) jointly held the 2025 Soong Ching Ling Children's Future Science Day and an awarding ceremony for the 20th Soong Ching Ling Children's Invention Award in Xiongan New Area of north China's Hebei province on August 17.
The ceremony brought together Wan Gang, Vice-Chairperson of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and President of the CAST, and Li Bin, Vice-Chairperson of the 13th National Committee of the CPPCC and Chairperson of the CSCLF.
Together with Wan and Li, Fan Weicheng, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), Xia Jun, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Ge Huibo, Vice-Chairperson of the Hebei Provincial Committee of the CPPCC and President of the Hebei Association for Science and Technology, Wu Bo, Vice-Secretary of the Party Working Committee and Executive Deputy Director of the Administrative Committee of Xiongan New Area, Party Chief and President of China Xiongan Group, joined with four youth representatives from Beijing, Yunnan, Hong Kong and Singapore to unveil the 2025 Soong Ching Ling Children's Future Science Day.
Shen Beili, Secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group and Vice-Chairperson of the CSCLF, and Zhou Wenbiao, Member of the Leading Party Members' Group and Secretary of the Secretariat of the CAST, attended and addressed the ceremony.
Shen said that the organization of the 2025 Soong Ching Ling Children's Future Science Day and an awarding ceremony for the 20th Soong Ching Ling Children's Invention Award has provided youths with valuable opportunities to engage with cutting-edge science, admire scientific charm, and foster creative thinking and hands-on skills in relevant practical activities. She asked them to take this event as a new starting point, bear in mind instructions and expectations from General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping on them, do utmost efforts to acquire knowledge, remain curious, undertake exploration activities boldly in the sea of sciences.
Noting that the theme of the event is to develop scientific dreams and foster innovative aspirations, Zhou said that it is an concrete action to implement the specific requirements of the 20th CPC National Congress on nurturing innovative culture and carrying forward the spirit of scientists, and a vivid practice to act on General Secretary Xi's key instructions on inspiring young people's curiosity, imagination and desire to explore. He called on youths to further expand their scientific horizons and reap knowledge, friendship and growth in the celebration of the Soong Ching Ling Children's Future Science Day.
Wu said that the Soong Ching Ling Children's Invention Award is a special sci-tech contest for youths with far-reaching influences and that it has inspired numerous children to devote themselves to science. The organization of the event in Xiongan New Area has shown its firm recognition and support to the development of the state-level new area and will fundamentally facilitate the building of a children-friendly city and a national demonstration highland of scientific popularization. He added that Xiongan New Area will take utmost efforts to build itself into a children-friendly place and develop into a fertile land for young people to chase their scientific dreams.
During the 2025 Soong Ching Ling Children's Future Science Day, the China Soong Ching Ling Science & Culture Center for Young People and the China Science & Technology Museum co-hosted a special exhibition on award-winning invention works, face-to-face session with scientists, exploration tour in Xiongan New Area, scientific popularization lectures by academicians, youths' interactions and experience in drone operation, thematic exhibition on future cities, educational results exhibition on children's sustainable development, ocean-themed scientific popularization series, and "Scientific Methods Training Camp: Dream Planet" summer camp, which were designed to foster a deep social atmosphere of talking about , loving, learning and utilizing sciences.
The Organizing Committee of the 20th Soong Ching Ling Children's Invention Award has drawn the participation of about 57,000 children from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macao, Malaysia and Singapore and received the submission of 46,000 works, setting a new record. Judges have selected 590 award-winning entries, which include 346 invention works (36 golds, 104 silvers and 206 bronzes), 183 AI programming works (20 golds, 57 silvers and 106 bronzes), and 61 creative works.
Additionally, 95 excellent scientific art pieces were chosen for exhibition.
Wan, Li, Shen, Zhou, CAS academicians Wei Yueguang and Chang Kai, Yu Huarong, Party Secretary, Executive Vice-President and Secretary-General of the China Invention Association, and Mei Xinyang, Member of the Party Working Committee and Vice-Director of the Administrative Committee of Xiongan New Area, presented awards of the three categories to recipients.
Those in attendance of the event also included Vice-Chairperson of the CSCLF Ding Jie, Deputy Secretary-General of the CSCLF Chen Aimin, Qian Yan, Party Secretary and Vice-President of the China Science & Technology Museum, and Guo Xutao, Party Secretary and Executive Vice-President of the Hebei Association for Science and Technology.
