In the afternoon of February 23, 2014, Professor Gang Wan, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and Minister of Science and Technology, inspected the Chinese National Compound Library (CNCL). He was accompanied by Mr. Gang Dai (Deputy Inspector-General of the Executive Office and Personal Assistant to the Minister), Mr. Yiming Jin (Deputy Director-General of the Major Special Project Office), Mr. Zhe Yang (Deputy Director-General, Department of Science and Technology for Social Development) and Mr. Yancheng Chen (Section Chief of the Major Special Project Office) from Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republics of China. They were hosted by Professor Jian Ding (Director of Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, SIMM) and Professor Kaixian Chen (Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences).

Professor Fajun Nan (Deputy Director of CNCL) briefly introduced the development history, research facility, operating mechanisms, cultural environment and technical services of CNCL. During the facility tour, Minister Wan paused a few times and had candid conversations with junior scientists who were working in the laboratories. The venue was then moved to the SIMM main campus at Zu Chong Zhi Road where a work report was given by Professor Jian Ding. Professor Kaixian, Mr. Jianjun Cheng (CPC Secretary of SIMM) and Mr. Lanzhong Wang (General Manager of Shanghai Zhangjiang Base for Biomedical Development, Co. Ltd.) voiced their opinions thereafter covering topics such as technology platform on drug innovation, research grant management and matching funds by local governments, among others.

In his summary remarks, Minister Wan first emphasized the necessity and importance of adopting the new "State-driven integrated efforts" policy to ensure social development and to support people’s livelihood. "Academic institutions should play a leading role in China’s endeavor for drug innovation. Advanced scientific knowledge can be disseminated during the course of technical services while practical experiences are collected and integrated from the downstream commercialization activities. This will satisfy the needs of biopharmaceutical companies and ascertain that academics are always standing in the full-front of innovation", commented he. Minister Wan highly commended the responsibility, taken by the National Center for Drug Screening and the Chinese National Compound Library, for screening drug leads to treat diseases of poverty, in collaboration with World Health Organization. Finally, he expressed his wish that SIMM would make asserted efforts in the exploration of new approaches to promote traditional Chinese medicine.

Mr. Ziqi Shou (Director of Shanghai Science and Technology Commission, SSTC, respectively), Mr. Hongkai Chen (Chief of Staff, SSTC), Mr. Zhongmin Zheng, Mr. Shupei Dong (Division Chief and Deputy Division Chief, SSTC, respectively), Drs. Hualiang Jiang, Yang Ye, Meiyu Geng (Deputy Directors of SIMM), Drs. Jia Li (Assistant Director of SIMM) and Xin Xie (Deputy Director of the National Center for Drug Screening, NCDS), among others, participated in this event.

Professor Ming-Wei Wang (Director of NCDS and CNCL) who was attending the 2014 Novo Nordisk-CAS Research Fund board meeting in Beijing on the same day provided a written report ahead of this inspection.