On the morning of September 25, the 2021 ZGC Forum held a plenary session. Five major achievements covering core technology research, major industry norms, and important science and technology innovation indices were revealed at the session, showing the current results of Beijing's high-quality development towards becoming an international center for scientific and technological innovation.

I. Nature Index 2021 Science Cities

David Swinbanks, founder of the Nature Index, unveiled the Nature Index 2021 Science Cities. Tracking the relevant performance of 50 key cities, the list shows that the top five science cities in the world are (in descending order): Beijing, the New York metropolitan area, the Boston metropolitan area, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Shanghai. Beijing has been in the top spot for four consecutive years.

II. Liquid Helium-free Dilution Refrigerator

Ji Zhongqing, an associate researcher of the Institute of Physics (IOP), Chinese Academy of Sciences, released a liquid helium-free dilution refrigerator which is aligned with international mainstream products in regard to core indicators. Mastering the core technology of dilution refrigeration allows China to provide extremely low-temperature conditions for cutting-edge research such as quantum computing.

III. Code of Ethics for Next-Generation Artificial Intelligence

Xue Lan, director of the National Professional Committee on Governance of New Generation Artificial Intelligence, revealed the Code of Ethics for Next-Generation Artificial Intelligence. The Code of Ethics takes into account the current ethical concerns of the society regarding privacy, bias, discrimination, and fairness. It also proposes six basic ethical requirements and four specific ethical norms for AI management, R&D, supply, use, and other activities. It aims to integrate ethics into the entire AI life cycle, provide ethical guidelines for natural persons, legal entities, and other organizations engaged in AI-related activities, and promote the healthy development of AI.

IV. Long-lasting Superconducting Quantum Bit Chip Realizes 500ms Interference Duration

Yu Haifeng, a researcher in superconducting quantum computing at the Beijing Academy of Quantum Information Sciences, set a new world record with a newly unveiled long-lasting superconducting quantum bit chip. Results garnered from research are expected to further demystify quantum processes or phenomena that could not be observed in the past, thereby laying a solid device foundation for the application of superconducting quantum computing.

V. Global Innovation Hubs Index 2021 (GIHI 2021)

Tsinghua University and the Springer Nature Group jointly released the Global Innovation Hubs Index 2021 (GIHI 2021). The top five cities (metropolitan areas) in the overall ranking are: San Francisco-San Jose, New York, London, Beijing, and Boston. Beijing's overall ranking rose from No. 5 last year to No. 4. (Note: Content source is from the Beijing News.)