China Encourages Foreign Investors into Its Mineral Resources
On June 12, 2001, Mr. Pan Wencan, Director of the Dept. of Planning, Chinese Ministry of National Land Resources expressed that the Chinese Government encourage s foreign investors into the exploration and mining of its mineral resources and protects their associated interest. So far China has worked out its positive po licies encouraging the foreign investment in its mineral resources and planned t o widen the scope of mineral resources for such investment, so as to create a sound climate for the interested foreign investment and the foreign cooperation with Chinese domestic enterprises.
These policies find their detailed expressions as in: 1) allow foreign investors to cooperate with their Chinese partners in the capacity of non-legal-person en tity on mineral resources exploration; 2) when discovering the mines of commercial values through the efforts of foreign invested business and non-legal person entity, the finders will be protected of their right to mining provided that they obtain such mining right according to law; 3) encourage foreign investors to e stablish joint ventures or cooperative ventures with Chinese domestic enterprise s; and 4) encourage foreign investors to orient their investment into the explo ration and mining of the mineral resources in China’s west section.
Chinese government and competent agencies at different levels are not permitted to be part of the joint or cooperative ventures in the said field nor allowed to ask foreign investors for equity shares or profit sharing. In addition, they shall not exercise illegal inspection, fund raising and unregulated additional fee collection.
Local government and the associated competent agencies at different level shall improve the conditions for foreign investment, enhance the strength of legal sup ervision, maintain the order of mining industry and protect the legitimate inter est of foreign investors.
China will strengthen its legislation and policy guidance on foreign investment in the exploration and mining of China’s mineral resources, simplify and regulate the approval procedures for foreign investment in the field, and provide rele vant information service.
Internationalized CAS Research Fellows Recruitment
The Institute of Mathematics and System Science under the Chinese Academy of Sci ences has recently recruited seven research fellows among 21 candidates through internationally acknowledged assessment and qualification system.
The said Institute has introduced brave reform in its research fellow recruitmen t in 2001 by adopting internationally practiced recommendation and assessment ap proach. Under the new recruitment system, candidates applying for research fello w positions shall submit their personal information and data to three experts in the field for examination. Of the said three experts, two should be the oversea s ones who are active at the frontier of the discipline. The list to be peer rev iewed is determined by the Institute’s Academic Committee.
The Institute’s international counterparts have rendered generous support to th e peer review and examination process though they are uncompensated for the job. 92% of the experts who are asked to give their assessment on the candidates ha ve sent back their comments, though they were not duly noticed in advance as the result of limited time available. Meanwhile, these experts have aired their sup port to the screening approach. It is reported that the said efforts of inviting internationally renowned experts to make peer review and assessment will be fur ther extended to the definition of the major research orientations, the establi shment of research centers and the assessment of research results.
Abnormal Human Chromosome in Hangzhou
An abnormal human chromosome discovered by Hangzhou Municipal Hospital has recen tly been reconfirmed by the state medical authorities the first of its kind in t he world.
The said abnormal chromosome was discovered by Dr. He Jialin, a gynecologist of Hangzhou Municipal Hospital last April when she made an examination of a patient who suffered from habitual abortion. The patent's No. 9 chromosome contributing to the adverse fetus position is abnormal in its sequencing. It is briefed tha t of the 23 pairs of chromosomes, 22 are regular ones with the remaining one fun ctioning as gender chromosome, a major matter basis for the genetic passing. The abnormality of the number or sequencing of chromosomes will lead to chromosome related diseases. Among the known genetic diseases, there are 300 and more relat ing to chromosome abnormality. Hangzhou Municipal Hospital sent the case data an d testing results of the patient to China National Key Lab on Medical Genetics a nd National Cytological Genetics Training Center at Hunan Medical University for further identification. The identification result has confirmed that the said abnormal chromosome is the first one so far discovered in the world. It was now c ollected by Chinese Human Chromosome Abnormality Data Catalog.
Coordinated Mining Prediction Caught World Attention
At the International Workshop on Mining Diversities and Associated Quantitative Prediction and Assessment held on May 25, 2001 at China Geology University, Prof . Zhao Pengda, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences proposed his th eory on coordinated mining prediction and associated methodology, which has been confirmed in the internationally leading position by 100 and more geologists fr om the US, Russia, Japan, Canada present at the meeting.
Prof. Zhao Pengda creatively proposed that the geological abnormality, mining di versity and mining bed spectrum system constitute three interactive and interwov en geological facts and make the evidence and guide for mining prediction. Takin g the consolidated analysis and study of the said three elements as the new star ting point for mining prediction and exploration, the said approach was termed a s three-element coordinated mining prediction. So far the new approach has achi e ved remarkable results in mine explorations such as the prediction of 445,000 to ns of copper reserves in Yuanjiang area of Yunnan Province and effective predict ions for the mineral resources over Anhui, Xinjiang, Shandong, Shanxi, the lower and middle reaches of the Yangtze River and Yunnan.
Sugar Treats Obesity
Prof. Fujishin from Japan’s Kagoshima University and Prof. Hou Dexing from China have jointly made an experiment in which rats are fed with the feed containing 20% sugar and 2.5% of L-Amylose. After one month of the experiment, the research e rs have found that the fat gathered around rats’ kidney and neutral fat in thei r blood are 36% lower than those who only took ordinary sugar.
Prof. Hou points out that the analysis has shown the ordinary sugar would be dec omposed by enzyme when it travels to intestines and is transferred into blood su gar before becoming fat. However, L-Amylose has shown its strong depressing effects on decomposing enzyme. The sugar that has not been decomposed in the in test ines would be further decomposed by microbes in colons and produce massive organic acid that also has depressing effect on the synthesis of liver fat. Plus the depressing effect of L-Amylose on intestine’s absorption of sugar, the proce ss will lead to the reduced production of new fat in the body and reach the result of weight reducing.
It is believed that unlike other obesity reducing approaches, the new therapy ar e applicable to most people for it takes advantage of the natural digestion function in one’s body.
Crops Enjoying Seawater Irrigation
The cultivation of salt resistant crops, a national key S&T project chaired by P rof. Lin Qifeng of Hainan University has recently passed its technical checks at national level. The said project introduced the salt enduring elements into tomato, egg plant, long beans and pepper through their pollen tubes, which greatly enhanced their salt resistance. Prof. Lin and his team have eventually worked o ut the corps that are able to grow on the seashore land or can be irrigated directly with seawater, the first of its kind in the world. Up to date, the seeds have passed to the fourth generation.
China’s salinized or sub-salinized land has taken 20% of its total arable terri tories. Furthermore, the irrational irrigation method has brought about large quantity of new sub-salinized land. As is estimated by the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture, the cultivation of 200 million mu(1mu=0.0667ha.) of seashore land may feed a populat ion of 150 million. The technical check group on the project pointed out that the said technology had entered its maturity stage after a decade’s study. The Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Agriculture and the State Oceanic Administration have jointly decided to extend the said technology to the whole country on a steady basis.
China’s First Simulated Axle Tool Machine
The simulated axle tool machine, deemed the new processing machine tool in the 2 1st century, has recently worked out by Tsinghua University and Kunming Machine Tool Co. Ltd..
Tsinghua University started the said studies from 1995 and worked out the first boring and milling machine in the country in 1997. Through three-year efforts, T singhua University and Kunming Machine Tools Co. Ltd. have upgraded a series of optimized design on the basis of the original prototype and developed key techno logies for the major components and manufacturing process, eventually brought ou t the simulated axle machine for future commercialization. Free from the shortc omings of traditional machine tools, the improved prototype machine is of numer ous merits such as advanced modulation system, fast speed and accuracy and low c ost. It is not only able to perform fast complicated curve processing on light m etals but also on ferrous metals, especially good for curve processing as requir ed by impeller, model and sculpturing. It is able to complete numerous processing functions such as milling and cutting, hole boring and drilling and grinding on a single run.
Chinese Scientists’ Expedition to Zhumulangma Peak
Chinese scientists kicked off their second expedition on May 28, 2001 to study t he Zhumulangma Peak. Subnamed Zhumulangma Environment 2001, the activity will see its end until June 15, 2001 and become another scientific expedition for the s ake of the mystery following the environmental monitoring activities jointly org anized by the Institute of Atmospheric Physics under Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Association for Exploration last year.
Along with the implementation of China’s west development program, the Ximalaya area will undergo an extremely drastic process of urbanization and farming mode rnization. As a result, many elements such as urban population, energy consumpti on, industrial pollution and the application of chemical fertilizer and pesticid es will see great changes. In this context, monitoring the urbanization and farm ing modernization process of Ximalaya area will provide important data for study ing the relationship between human development and natural environment and provide wise suggestions for addressing the environmental issues possibly raised by t he west development.
West Glacier Resources Survey Started
It was reported from the sources of the Institute of Environment and Engineering in Cold and Arid Area that is subordinate to the Chinese Academy of Sciences th at China’s west glacier resources survey has kicked off. Co-sponsored by the I nstitute of Environment and Engineering in Cold and Arid Areas and the Institute of Remote Sensing, both under the jurisdiction of CAS, the project is one of the innovative projects designed for the west development by CAS, scheduled to complete in two years.
The survey will mainly cover the areas of high sea levels ranging from 6000-7000 m such as Tianshan Mount, West Kunlun Mount and Zhumulangma Peak. Applied with modern technological means such as high resolution satellite images and air-born remote sensing, the survey will study the variation of glaciers and their movement. It is reported that the said survey will provide accurate data, scientific evidence and suggestions to the rational utilization of China’s water resources , the ecological restoration and reconstruction and environmental protection .
Chinese Tumor Expert Entitled Russian Academician
Prof. Li Dapeng, a renowned Chinese tumor expert has been recently granted with the honor of Academician of Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. Not long ago, f our academicians of Russian Academy of Medical Sciences conferred the certificat e to Prof. Li on behalf of their Academy in Hangzhou..
Thanks to his many-year painstaking efforts, Prof. Li has successfully extracted natural active matter from Chinese medical herb and made it into Kanglaite Inje ction of wide spectrum cancer resistance. Applicable for large dose venous and artery injection, the new drug has changed the history telling that Chinese traditional medicine can only serve as a supplementary drug. Its clinic application o n nearly 200,000 patients in 2,000 and more domestic hospitals have brought out remarkable results. Kanglaite Injection has been granted with invention patents in China, US, Russia and EU countries respectively. As a result, Zhejiang Kanglaite Pharmaceuticals Ltd. created by Li Dapeng has become a successful model for the industrialization and globalization of Chinese traditional medicine.
Russian Academy of Medical Sciences is the top academic body in the field of med ical sciences in Russia. It recruits foreign experts and scholars who have made outstanding contributions to be its foreign academician. Prof. Li is the 12th fo reign academician recruited by the Academy and also the only academician selected through the election this year. This makes a weighted evaluation of Prof. Li’s achievements in the study of Chinese traditional and natural medicines. Meanwh ile, it shows the confirmation of Russian cancer treatment community on Chinese traditional cancer medicines developed by Chinese scientists represented by Prof. Li.
National Optics Industrial Base in Hangzhou
The Chinese National Optics Research and Industrialization Base recently announc ed its inauguration in Hangzhou. The development has constituted an important pa ckage of National Optical Instrument Engineering Technology Research Center serv ing the economic development in the country.
Based in Zhejiang University, the Chinese National Optical Instrument Engineerin g Technology Research Center has strong research and development capacity in the fields of optic engineering, photoelectric technology, photoelectric image inpu t and output and optic telecommunication. In addition, it has worked out numerous new technologies, products and components with some of them reaching the inter national or domestic leading position.
With improving China's optical instruments and photoelectric information technol ogy and associated industrialization as its major missions, the Base will play i ts major roles in the fields of optical image input and output, optic telecommunication, photoelectric instruments and associated industries under the guidance of advanced technology development trends both at home and abroad as well as the market.
Accelerated Pace for TB Control
China is one of the 22 countries suffering high tuberculosis infection in the wo rld with the number of its tuberculosis patients sitting at the second place in the world. To accelerate the pace controlling the disease, the Central Government has created this year a dedicated fund of RMB 40 million for treating and controlling the diseases with tilted weight on the treatment and control of the diseases in China’s west section and poverty stricken areas. Meanwhile, China has sought for active international collaboration. Recently it has planned to establi sh tuberculosis control projects in 16 provinces covering a population of 600 million through the loans of the World Bank and donations from UK International De velopment Office. To strengthen the studies, the state has listed the tuberculos is control a major S&T project in the 10th Five-Year Plan(2001-2005).
National Lab on Inorganic Synthesis and Preparation
With the concerted approval of the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology an d the Ministry of Education, the National Key Lab on Inorganic Synthesis and Che mical Preparation officially opened its premises on May 30, 2001. The said Lab i s one of the major national labs planned to be built during the 10th Five-Year P lan period. It is reported that during the said period, China will construct a n umber of national major labs in selected major disciplines while outdating obsol ete and low level national labs that have long suffered poor performance.
Based at Jilin University, the National Key Lab on Inorganic Synthesis and Chemi cal Preparation has since its foundation in 1993 undertaken 100 and more assignm ents at national or provincial level including the ones under Climbing Program, 973 Program, 863 Program and National Natural Science Foundation. The Lab has wo n two third prizes of National Natural Science Awards, four first prizes and four second prizes of Science and Technology Advancement Awards issued by the Minis try of Education. The Lab has two professors recruited under Yangtze River Schol arship Program and three winners of National Outstanding Young Scientists Founda tion. In the national assessment of the chemical labs made in 1999, the National Key Lab on Inorganic Synthesis and Chemical Preparation was rated Excellent for its operation.
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