Knowledge Innovation Base in Northwest China
Being an important part of China's national knowledge innovation program and an
important action of the national master plan for northwest development campaign, the socalled “Northwest Resources Environment and Sustained Development Basecreated by Chinese Academy of Sciences” (CAS) was recently put into operation in Lanzhou. The base will select its own scientific and technological targets tailored to national goals for the northwest development campaign, formulate corresponding high tech development plans and gather an S&T contingent so as to render its due contributions to the social and economic development in the region.
The major structures of the base will be centered around existing CAS's Research Institute of Environment and Engineering for Cold and Dry Areas including Institute of Earth Environment and Institute of Soil Conservancy of CAS's Xi′an Branch; Lanzhou Institute of Geology, Qinghai Institute of Salt Lake, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology of CAS's Lanzhou Branch; Institute of Ecology and Geography of CAS's Xinjiang Branch and field stations and research institutions subordinated to CAS for monitoring resources environment and sustainable development scattered in five provinces in the region.
Covering 5 provinces or autonomous regions including Shan'xi, Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai and Xinjiang, northwest knowledge innovation project will focus on addressing major scientific issues concerning social and economic development and ecological environment construction.
Aiming at studying special ecological environment, resources and disasters such
as drought and plateau cold spell, the base will establish internationally advanced theoretical system for plateau coldness, draught and semi-draught environment and global changes, mechanism of desertification, soil erosion and water saving farming so as to provide scientific evidence for strategic decision making on the development and utilization of resources, agricultural development, ecological construction and large infrastructure development in the northwest. On a steady basis it will establish and improve scientific and technological systems for
severe natural disaster prevention and preparedness, protection of vulnerable ecological system and restoration and reconstruction of deteriorating ecological
system.
In accordance with CAS's master plan Northwest base has defined its near term working targets as follows: investigate the status quo of land resources and ecological environment with high tech means so as to establish an integrated data platform; improve the environmental and ecological monitoring network on the basis
of existing field station network and establish demonstration zones on environmental control and ecological agriculture; with the development and exploitation of Qinghai Salt Lake resources and oil and natural gas resources as the priorities, organize the coordinated development of key application technologies; develop, demonstrate and diffuse new energies such as solar, wind and geothermal energy; study and develop new materials and corresponding key techniques suitable for the development of low cost and high performance drip irrigation system surrounding water saving farming and ecological control of desertification in the northwest; enhance the input in “west light” human resources program and accelerate the formation of innovation contingent and absorb, stabilize and organize a group of fine young talents to be part of scientific activities of northwest development.
China's High Tech Products Export Catalog
Commenting on China's High Tech Products Export Catalog jointly published by Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Foreign Trade and EconomicCo-operation (MOFTEC), Ministry of Finance, State Administration of Taxation
and General Administration of Customs, Hu Chusheng, spokesman of MOFETC said it is
an important action to improve quality and level of China's foreign trade and upgrade China from a large trade country to a trade power.
It is reported that the Catalog has listed about 1900 export civil-oriented high
tech products covering 8 fields including electronics, software, aeronautics and space, photoelectric integration, biomedicine and medical instruments, new materials and energy, energy saving products, earth and marine. Enterprises whose products have been listed in the Catalog will enjoy preferential treatment regulated by the state for high tech products export.
Each product listed in the Catalog is of a HS code issued by General Administration of Customs, which will become the evidence for enjoying preferential treatment and effective means for corresponding management and statistics.
Development Plan for CACTM
It is reported that Chinese Academy of Chinese Traditional Medicine (CACTM) has
stated to implement its development plan for the period of 1999-2010. Being the
first medium term development plan for the academy, its formulation and implementation will play an important guidance and promotion role in the construction and development of CACTM.
To promote personnel training and nurturing efforts so as to form a rationally structured personnel contingent, the Plan has proposed the socalled “Talents Project” through which 10 to 20 chief research fellows will be screened out, 50 to
100 academic disciplinary leaders selected and 400 to 600 academic backbones and administrative managers raised in a period of 5-10 years. In 1999, 11 chief research fellows were screened out through recommendation nomination, soliciting experts' comments and opinions and confirmation of Academic Committee of CACTM.
In the meanwhile, 43 renowned experts were recruited as senior research fellows. To make young and middle age talents stand out, 18 professionals got promoted on an unusual basis in 1999.
“Gardening Project” is a comprehensive project to raise Rmb 1 million to finance 50 to 100 innovative research topics undertaken by young or middle aged S&T personnel of CACTM. It is a major measure to encourage new topics and strengthen the backup forces for future research activities. So far 57 topics involving 400 and more S&T personnel with the team leaders at the average age of 37 have been selected to be financed at an amount of Rmb 527,000 with 6 of them upgrading to project level.
National New Drug Security Assessment Research Center (GLP) and National New Drug Clinical Testing Research Center (GCP) are two major projects under national“1035 program”. In 1999, CACTM achieved remarkable progress in the construction of two centers. GLP has been approved by Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology for its construction and GCP has passed medium term assessment by Ministry of Science and Technology. The construction of the said two national major labs will be of great importance to strengthening [CM(23*3]CACTM's position of “national team” in Chinese traditional medicine studies, improving its research capacity and establishing an open innovative system.
With the support of State Chinese Traditional Pharmaceutical Administration, CACTM has kicked off its innovation projects with the investment from central authorities and its own capital of Rmb 7 million to support the projects of new concept, promising perspectives and great potentials. CACTM will reform the current management system for topics selection and research activities and promote personnel training through project implementation. Proposed innovation projects are now in the screening process.
In the field of international exchange and cooperation, CACTM received 3987 foreign visitors including 16 ministerial delegations and sent 158 experts abroad to attend international academic exchanges and conferences in 1999. In the same year, CACTM provided medical treatment for 2578 foreign patients.
New Progress for China's Antarctic Expedition
Chinese scientists who made their second expedition to Grove mts. in the Antarctic have discovered and taken back with them 28 meteorites in the area, which has
made China a few countries in the world which are able to study Antarctic meteorites. This added the total number of Antarctic meteorites possessed by China
to 32. Chinese scientists confirmed for the first time in the world that Grovemts. is a new meteorites rich area in the Antarctic and probably is one of the three biggest meteorite rich areas in the Antarctic.
In the early 1999, the expedition team headed by Liu Xiaohan, research fellow of
Chinese Academy of Sciences, had discovered meteorites for the first time in Grove mts. and taken back four with them. Many signs have shown that there couldbe a meteorites rich area in the region. This scientific assumption was confirmed by the recent expedition over the area.
To confirm the abundance of meteorites in the area, the expedition team made their second visit to the area and collected meteorites. They combed the selected
areas at sides of the socalled breeze cliff on motorbikes or foot with the help
of radar and discovered and collected 28 meteorites.
Comparing with meteorites collected from other areas, Antarctic meteorites are of high scientific values in addition to its abundance. Its preciousness is not only lied in its difficult accessibility but also in the contamination free reflection of its surface composition for identifying its origin. Like highly sensitive cosmic detectors, Antarctic meteorites have carried rich data and information. Retrieval of these data and information will help people to understand many mysterious phenomena in the cosmos. Following the news that American scientists have found life trace in Antarctic meteorites, more and more scientists hope that they may find more life trace in other Antarctic meteorites.
China's Internationally Advanced Resource Satellite Technology
At the experts panel meeting held on Feb. 14, 2000 in Beijing, experts agreed that on-line testing data and performance of Resource I Satellite in past four months have shown that China's techniques manufacturing resources satellites have reached the internationally advanced level in the 1990s.
Launched on October 14, 1999, Resources I jointly developed by Chinese Academy of Space Technology and Brazilian Institute of Space Research is missioned to monitor the change of land resources, estimate forestry storage, predict crop yield and watch for natural disasters.
After being briefed about the performance of the satellite, experts agreed that
the functions and performance of different sub-systems of the satellite platform have reached or been better than what designing requires. It is working smoothly and producing fine quality images. The design of synchronous regression orbit and highly accurate orbit changing performed by the satellite are the first of its kind in the country.
Experts believed that the successful launch of China's first transmission oriented resources satellite is the first role model for smooth follow-up operation of domestic application satellite after its first successful launch and has made
an applicable remote sensing satellite available for China's economic development. Most of payload of the satellite, its attitude control and orbit control a ccuracy have reached internationally advanced level in the 1990s.
China's Quantum Laser Device
China's studies of semi-conductor laser device have witnessed major breakthroughs. The study group headed by Li Aizhen, a female scientist, have at last worked out their first quantum semi-conduct laser device ranging from 5 to 8.2 m after their 5-year painstaking efforts. The said result has made China the second country after US in the world which are able to manufacture the laser device of such a high quality.
The breakthrough was made when Li Aizhen working on a national priority basic research project contracted to Shanghai Institute of Metallurgy, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The laser device can be applied in many fields such as modern telecommunication, environmental protection and national security. The wavelength ranging from 5-8 m is an important infrared window in the air. The laser of such wavelength is a major means to measure trace gases and molecular spectrum. In addition, it is of wide application perspectives in telecommunication and is a necessary high technology applied in signal transmitting and receiving.
Experts believed that the quantum laser device developed by Li Aizhen and others of Shanghai Institute of Metallurgy is of great features difficult to achieve in terms of its theory, structure design, material growth and characteristics of material and appliance. They have successfully grown up fine materials needed by high quality laser devices and created appropriate system measuring transmitting spectrum for long and medium range infrared laser devices, the first of its kind in China. They creatively solved the problems such as characterization and optical characteristics and accurately reflected optical properties of laser devices. Its measuring result is identical with that achieved in US Luscent Bell Lab. Their efforts have paved a new way for developing China's infrared semi conductor laser devices.
Song Jian Elected US Academician
Chinese Academy of Engineering has recently received the official letter from US
National Academy of Engineering (USNAE) informing that Song Jian, President of
Chinese Academy of Engineering, was elected foreign academician of US National
Academy of Engineering for his outstanding contributions to the areas of space project, environmental protection, science and technology management and international technological cooperation.
Founded in December 1964, US National Academy of Engineering is the top academic
institution of American engineering communities and one of influential engineering academies in the world. At present, USNAE has 2027 national academicians and 157 foreign academicians. Of them, 78 are newly elected, among who 8 are foreigners.
Elected academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1991 and academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering in 1994, Prof. Song Jian is a scientist working on control system theory, system engineering and space technology. In June 1998,
Prof. Song was elected President of Chinese Academy of Engineering. He also serves as foreign academician for Russian Academy of Sciences, Swedish Loyal Academy of Engineering and Eurasian Academy of Sciences.
Up to date, five Chinese scientists have been elected foreign academicians of US
National Academy of Engineering. They are Mao Yisheng, Wang Dianzuo, Zheng Zhemin and Song Jian from China mainland and one from Taiwan.
Chinese Traditional Prescriptions Study
Research on basic scientific issues relating to Chinese traditional prescriptions, a national priority project, was kicked off recently. Chinese traditional medicine is a cutting edge topic in contemporary scientific researches. One of major purposes formulating national development plan for priority basic studies is to pave a way for China's own basic S&T studies. The said project is practiced with chief scientist responsibility system, aiming at taking full advantage of the merits embodied in Chinese traditional medicine so as to make up the shortcomings of western medical theory through in-depth analys is of Chinese traditional prescriptions. It is expected to achieve breakthroughs on treatment effects, quality and rational matching of different herbal ingredients so as to improve the health condition of people and promote the development of Chinese traditional medicine industry in line with international competition. It is a well known fact that basic studies have been mystified with many unknowns. The said project will encourage academic democracy and contending among different schools and encourage young scientists to look into different aspects of the truth so as to give the wisdom of researchers a full play.
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