The construction of Western (Chongqing) Science City is in high gear as the municipality has mobilized all needed resources to build the city into a national scientific innovation center, officials said at a news conference on Wednesday.

This project is part of an effort to develop the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle. The term was introduced by the the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs in early January.

Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, and Chongqing, the only inland municipality in China under the direct management of the central government, will jointly shoulder the responsibility to lead high-quality development in western China.

The Chongqing High-Tech Industrial Development Zone will spearhead the construction of the science city, which covers 1,198 square kilometers in five districts of Shapingba, Beibei, Jiulongpo, Jiangjin and Bishan.

Thanks to the large number of higher education institutions and a solid industrial foundation in the area, the science city aims to cultivate technology talents, strengthen tech companies, develop tech finance, promote tech transactions and advance tech exchanges.