BEIJING, Aug. 25 -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang has emphasized the need to foster an open environment for technical innovation and support foreign firms and research institutions to invest in China, when talking about advancing the robot industry through closer global collaboration.

Li made the remarks while on a field survey visit on Sunday to the 2024 World Robot Expo in Beijing.

He said it is necessary to establish and make good use of cooperation platforms for industrial exchanges, maintain the stability and smoothness of industrial and supply chains, and facilitate technical innovation of the robot industry worldwide.

Li toured the expo's exhibition hall and inquired about the performance, technological advantages, and in particular the applications of some robots on display.

The expo was part of the five-day World Robot Conference which opened on Wednesday and was themed "Co-fostering New Quality Productive Forces for a Shared Intelligent Future."

Li called for strengthened efforts to boost technical innovation and industrial development to cultivate new growth engines and continuously improve people's well-being.

Referring to robots as an "important yardstick for technical innovation and high-end manufacturing strength," Li said relevant innovation should target industrial upgrading, consumption upgrading demand and world-leading industrial frontiers.

Li added that China's advantages, ranging from a super-sized domestic market to abundant innovation scenarios, should be put to full use, while applications of robot-related technological innovation in sectors such as manufacturing, farming and services should be accelerated.

To boost the robot industry, he also underlined the need for engaging more venture capital investment, incubating more unicorn firms and more "little giant" firms, which are small and medium-sized enterprises that specialize in a niche market and boast cutting-edge technologies, as well as fostering industrial clusters with specialties and advantages.