BEIJING — Premier Li Keqiang called for more scientific and technological research in major disease prevention and control to improve people’s well-being.

Premier Li made the remarks at an annual ceremony held in Beijing on Jan 8 to honor distinguished scientists and research achievements.

He also said that more efforts should be made in food safety and pollution control to enable people to live a better life.

Premier Li called for building China’s strength in science and technology and urged increasing basic scientific research, diversifying investment in research and development, boosting integration of basic and applied sciences and enhancing innovative ability.

Scientific and technological workers should tackle key and common technology and solve bottleneck problems in industrial development, said Premier Li.

The Premier also called for further integrating scientific and technological innovation with the economy and accelerating the development of new technology, new industry and new businesses.

At the ceremony, two Chinese scientists, explosives expert Wang Zeshan and virologist Hou Yunde, won the top science award.