Tsinghua and Peking universities, commonly believed to be China's top two universities, have contributed more to China's development over past decades than Harvard University has done to the United States, reported China National Radio Thursday, quoting Chen-Ning Franklin Yang, the Chinese-American Nobel laureate.

Yang, the 90-year-old scientist who won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1957, spoke of his positive view of the achievements of Chinese education, in a speech delivered to students of Ninigxia University in Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region.

Yang refuted the argument that China's universities do not have much to offer and provide substandard education. "It is a wrong concept," said Yang.

"In terms of education, China's universities are world-class in many aspects," Yang added.