China's State Councilor Liu Yandong Sunday stressed the role of innovation in coping with the global financial crisis and advancing a healthy, rapid economic and social development.

Liu inspected scientific research organizations, universities,national high-tech parks and companies in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province,during a three-day inspection tour beginning Friday.

She told high-tech enterprise executives to seize market chances and increase spending on research and development, so that brand names with China's own intellectual properties could be made a reality, and competitiveness of products could be improved.

While emphasizing the importance of the application of patents, Liu asked universities to try harder and play a bigger role in spreading expertise and training qualified personnel needed for innovation.

(Xinhua News Agency February 15, 2009)