On 7-9 August 2009, Mr. Wen Jiabao, Member of the Standing Committee and Premier of the State Council visited Jiangsu Province.

In the afternoon on 7 August, Premier Wen Jiabao visited the CAS Wuxi Hi-tech Micronano Sensor Network Engineering and Technology R&D Centre. As a brand new technology, the sensor network realizes the interconnection among things, and is also called “the Internet of Things”. Many developed countries have increased their investments in this subject at the moment to research and develop new technologies in order to take an advanced position in the subject. China has also listed this technology in the medium to long-term technological development planning of the nation.

Premier Wen stopped in front of the display panel of the CAS Wuxi Hi-tech Micronano Sensor Network Engineering and Technology R&D Centre for a long time and listened to the reports on the development and application of the sensor network in China. He kept asking about the level of our core sensor network technology and how far away from the advanced level in the world. The person in charge of the Centre answered that we had achieved certain advantages on standardisation and technology as we started earlier, yet we were not the most advanced one. Hearing that, Premier Wen said that we had plenty of twists and turns in the mass development of computer and Internet industry because we didn’t get the core technology, and thus we needed to plan the future earlier and acquired the core technology earlier in the development of the sensor network.

The person in charge of CAS Wuxi Hi-tech Micronano Sensor Network Engineering and Technology R&D Centre suggested the Premier Wen on developing the sensor work. Premier Wen thought for a moment and then said there are at least three things that we can do as soon as possible: Firstly, combine the sensor network with TD technology in 3G; secondly, promote the development of the sensor network in the national key and special technological projects; thirdly, establish the sensor information centre of China, or the so called “Sense China” centre as soon as possible.

In the laboratory of CAS Wuxi Hi-tech Micronano Sensor Network Engineering and Technology R&D Centre, researchers were working hard on their studies. Seeing a researcher testing the sensor, Premier Wen said that,we needed to acquire unique advantages in this field as it was the most important component. Premier Wen also watched the application demo of the sensor network with great interests. He said that we had to make new growth point through scientific and technological innovation and acquisition of high-talented people, and took an advanced position in the economic development and technological innovation, so as to maintain the sustainable development, capabilities and competitiveness of the country.