BEIJING, July 17 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called for a greater focus on scientific innovation, as well as making it a driving force for China's development.

The nation will be revitalized and become powerful if it has strong scientific power, Xi said while visiting the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

Science and technology are a focal point of global competition and all major countries are trying to acquire advanced technology, including that related to national defense, Xi said.

Xi called for scientists to be ambitious and eliminate any obstacles that could thwart scientific development.

Xi visited the Institute of High Energy Physics at CAS, where he learned about the Beijing Electron Position Collider (BEPC), as well as met three scientists who participated in the creation of the facility.

He said CAS houses the best scientists in China and has made numerous scientific achievements.

Xi urged the CAS to continue to carry its spirit forward and build itself into a first-class scientific academy..