NANJING, Nov. 2 -- Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing has stressed the need to vigorously develop advanced manufacturing and nurture small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that use specialized and sophisticated technologies to produce novel and unique products.

Zhang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during his inspection tour in the eastern province of Jiangsu from Sunday to Monday.

During the inspection tour, Zhang emphasized the need to accelerate the building of a modern industrial system and continuously cultivate new growth drivers and strengths for development.

In Nanjing and Huai'an, Zhang visited enterprises in such sectors as smart grid and new materials. He stressed the need to vigorously develop next-generation intelligent manufacturing and to provide guidance and support for more enterprises in their digital and intelligent transformation.

Efforts should be made to upgrade technologies and processes in traditional industries and optimize their product mix, accelerate the large-scale application of emerging industries, and strengthen forward-looking planning for future industries, said Zhang.

Zhang stressed the need to support these specialized and sophisticated SMEs in increasing research and development investment and striving for new breakthroughs in original innovation and in key core and cutting-edge technologies.

He also called for encouraging large enterprises to open up application scenarios and share factor resources, to help more specialized and sophisticated SMEs integrate into their supply chains, innovation chains and value chains.