CHINA  SCIENCE  AND  TECHNOLOGY
NEWSLETTER
The Ministry of Science and Technology
People's Republic of China

863 Develop More High Techs

During the 10th Five-year period(2001-2005), the National 863 Program has led to the birth of a range of innovative key technologies, narrowing down China’s gaps with the internationally advanced level. The program also rolled out a line of strategic products and systems for technology integration and applications, and raised the competitiveness of China’s high tech industry. In the meantime, the program nurtured up a number of growth points for the high tech industry. In advancing the sustainable social development, it has landed core technology breakthroughs in energy, resources environment, farming, and biopharmaceuticals.

Well-organized R&D efforts in the field of information technology have made China one of the top ten high performance computer manufacturers in the world. The development of proprietary CPU series have laid a foundation and provided support for developing core technologies for China’s information industry. Chinese made Longxin and Zhongzhi chips have been massively produced. China also realized a ground-zero breakthrough in computer operating system and office software, and produced a line of products with some market share.

In the areas of biology and modern farming, China worked out the world first full rice genome chip, following its independent full sequence of indica rice genome and No. 4 chromosome of rice genome. The effort has confirmed China a leader in the area. The research effort has resulted in 22 new drug certificates, with 27 new products in the application process for the new drug certificates. In addition, 115 new products have entered clinical trials, with some 100 other innovative and promising candidates in pre-clinical studies.

China’s major full-solid red-green-blue laser products have reached an internationally advanced level. Chinese scientists have developed a man-like robot integrated with mechanisms, controllers, driving parts, sensors, and power source. A dozen sophisticated digital programmed machine tools have provided processing equipment needed by major projects such as west-to-east power transmission project. In the field of energy technology, Chinese scientists have landed technology breakthroughs in clean coal, renewable energy, nuclear energy, and hydrogen energy. Chinese made high temperature air-cooling reactor has been connected to grids in full capacity, which makes a key step towards the establishment of a nuclear power station for commercial demonstration purpose.

973 Brings More Innovations

During the 10th Five-year period, the implementation of the National 973 Program has produced a line of phase results showcasing its strength in advancing the national economic and social development. Also derived from the program are some innovative results that are of international implications.

In the cutting edge fields, China is a leader in the study of non-linear optical crystal, quantum information and telecommunication, and super strong and short laser. Chinese scientists also harvested accomplishments of important international consequences in the fields of nanomaterials and nanoscale structures, protein structures and functions, brain and perception, animal cloning, molecular engineering that creates new matters, paleontology, and marine sciences. All these efforts have noticeably raised China’s research capacity.  

China’s study of quantum information and communication has produced a line of innovative findings of international consequences. Chinese scientists have worked out an experimental scheme for quantum-key distribution of fine orientation and stable transmission. The solution made the 150-km indoor quantum-key distribution possible.

Basic theoretical studies of iron-steel condensing and crystal control have led to the new generation of iron-steel materials made of a number of technical improvements. The new development marks a revolution in iron-steel industrial restructuring, products upgrading, and technical capacity building. 

China has established the world first diaspore mine, using anti-flotation theory and process. China also achieved numerous accomplishments in efficient and clean utilization of fossil fuel energy, medium-temperature soot desulfurization, and catalysts for optimized utilization of natural gas and CH4. China enjoys a noticeably lifted basic research capacity in farming, population, and health activities, which resulted in the solutions to key issues in the areas. In the field of infectious diseases research, Chinese scientists have completed the full genome sequence of four typical Shigella.  China also analyzed the 3-D structures of SARS coronavirus proteins, the fist instance in the world, paving a new approach for developing new prevention and treatment drugs. 

Special S&T Projects Achieve More

With the concerted efforts of involving government agencies, the Ministry of Science and Technology has organized the implementation of 12 key special projects for technology development and associated demonstration.

In the past five years, agrifoods processing techniques and associated equipment has landed breakthroughs in numerous key areas. The findings derived from the project have found commercial applications. As of the first half of 2005, the project has rolled out 243 new products, with an additional output value of RMB 32.5 billion, taxes and profits RMB 4.4 billion, and export revenue USD 320 million. The project adds RMB 5.43 billion into farmers’ wallets.

The effort for modern water efficient farming technology and associated new products has established a preliminary water efficient farming technology system of Chinese characteristics. Part of the system has reached an internationally advanced level. The project narrows down China’s gaps with advanced countries by 5 to 10 years, in terms of the overall level of water efficient farming technology.

Special project of functional genome chips and biochips has sorted out 1500 new genes involving major human functions and diseases. Of them, 160 show potential development prospects, and 24 are confirmed of their apparent utilities for new products development.

Water treatment and control project has introduced new implementation mechanism to address major contaminated water control issues in the country, turning the treatment pressure into a dynamic for economic growth.

Food safety project has resulted in 29 new products, covering pesticides, animal drugs, biological toxins, food additives, feed additives, and test kits for forbidden chemicals. The project also worked out 94 fast test techniques and verification methods for food safety, pesticides, animal drugs, biological toxins, and dangerous foods.

Thanks to four-year efforts, the special project of electric automobiles has developed proprietary pure electric, hybrid, and fuel battery  sedan cars and buses. Scientists are working hard to find commercial applications of these prototype models.

Enhanced Information Process

During the 11th Five-year period(2006-2010), China will kick off a full fledged information process in five major sectors, said WANG Xudong, Chinese Minister of Information Industry, at a recently held meeting to advance information process in the country. The rural areas and associated applications makes the first priority in the information technology enhancement campaign.

WANG said that the information process and gradual narrowing down digital divide between urban and rural areas can help solve some rural problems. China will further improve and perfect the information infrastructure construction in the rural areas, and accelerate the implementation of the project connecting every village with telephone lines, making information technology part of every household in the rural areas, and establishing a well-functioned rural information service system. 

China will facilitate the economic structure optimization and change of growth modes with information technology, said WANG. Authorities concerned shall actively advance industrial information process, raise operation efficiency and management level, develop new businesses including e-commerce, facilitate the change from a traditional service industry to a modern one, nurture new economic growth points, and promote the transformation of high consumption and high pollution sectors with information technology. 

WANG added that during the 11th five-year period, information technology shall find an enhanced application in social sectors, advocating for extensive application of information technology in the urban management system, raising information technology capacity of medical institutions at different levels, and building the information technology capacity of the employment sector.

In the field of culture activities, China will relentlessly develop a modern information service industry, digital content industry, and online education industry. In addition, China will strengthen the application of information technology in the government management system, using government information resources as the trunk line, in an effort to allow people to be more aware of government activities, and enhance the applications of e-government and associated services. Information technology shall also find appropriate applications in the development of urban emergency system, emergency response mechanism, and social pre-warning system. China will strengthen its efforts in guarding a safe information infrastructure.

IASP Word Conference

The 22^nd World Conference of International Association of Science Parks (IASP) lifted its curtain on September 19, 2005 in Beijing. More than 400 experts of  science parks from Europe, America, and Asia attended the meeting.

ZHOU Guangzhao, Chairman of China Association for Science and Technology, made a keynote speech on the innovative development of China’s science parks. In his speech, ZHOU briefed the audiences of the development of China’s science parks, and thought highly of the science parks’ positive role in raising China’s proprietary innovation capacity, strengthening international exchanges and cooperation, being part of the global industrial team and innovation network, and advancing the economic development with technology. He added that thanks to more than a decade of construction and development, science parks has become an emerging force supporting China’s economic system, playing a weighted role in nurturing proprietary innovations, developing high tech industry, and advancing system reforms and urban development. Science parks has become an original source for proprietary innovations, and a base for spinning off high tech industry, an experimental zone for market oriented system reforms, and a role model for urban modernization.

At the 3-day meeting, some 50 speakers from a dozen countries made their presentations on related topics, including science parks and human resources, development technology and an environment encouraging innovations, supporting the involvement of small and medium-sized enterprises in the global competition, and science parks’ position in innovative networks.

Key S&T Achievements Show

A showcase was staged on September 18, 2005 in Beijing to mark the accomplishments harvested during the 10th Five-year period. The show displayed 416 major S&T accomplishments in three theme sections: S&T in the new century, major S&T accomplishments for the national economic and social development, and exploring the unknown and paving for the future. Nearly a thousand displays were presented at 40 major counters. Representing the latest major S&T accomplishments achieved in the nation, the show is highlighted with key innovative technology breakthroughs in diverse industries. It also displayed major accomplishments in the fields of population and health, public security, resources and environment, and in exploring scientific cutting edges and future high technologies.

China’s comprehensive S&T strength has got noticeably enhanced since the launch of the 10th five-year plan, with a greatly upgraded proprietary and innovative capacity. Along with a large number of innovative S&T results and findings, China’s national strength has been further advanced in the world from 30^th in 2000 to 24^th in 2004. China’s S&T strength sits ahead of most developing countries, with some of its technologies approaching or reaching the internationally advanced level.

The S&T accomplishments showcase also opened its online version on the website of the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, in an attempt to reach audiences in other parts of the country.  

Water Efficient Technology for Cold and Dry Areas

A project to demonstrate water efficiency technology for cold and dry areas has introduced semi-permanent, permanent, and machine array irrigation technologies to 1,050 mu(1 mu= 0.0667 hectare) of farmland. Meanwhile, the project selected three areas desirable for semi-permanent, permanent, and machine array irrigations as demonstration zones, which offer 3,5000 mu of farmland for experiments.

The project has diffused the technology to 200,000 mu of farmlands in Qinghai Province, which brought up noticeable economic, social and ecological benefits. The effort has not only reduced the irrigation water volume from 750m³/mu to current 250-500m³/mu, but also raised the irrigation channel utilization coefficient from 0.45 to 0.8, and the irrigation water utilization coefficient from 0.35 to 0.85. The irrigation water ration per mu per time also dropped from  80～100m³/mu to 50～60m³/mu. In the meantime, the average yield of spring wheat and rape in the demonstration zones saw a respective rise by 30% and 40%, with an increased grass yield by 50%. The demonstration zones have registered an output volume of RMB 3 million, with RMB 146,000 paid for taxes, and a profit of RMB 450,000. The demonstration project has diffused the semi-permanent irrigation and winch irrigation techniques to the vast shallow hilly areas and pasturelands in the province. Calculated on 3000m³ of water saved from per hectare, the effort has saved 6556×105m³ water from 218521.59 hectares of irrigated lands in the Huangshui Valley, the Yellow River Basin, and Chaidamu Basin. It has not only alleviated the water shortage caused by farming, tree growing, and animal raising activities, which in turn brought water shortage to industrial sectors and urban life, but has also restored irrigations to 1.68 million hectares of pasturelands. The project makes a meaningful contribution to protecting and restoring the fragile ecological environment, and steadily improving the seriously degraded pastureland ecosystem.

Proprietary Man-like Robot

A real-man sized robot made its debut at a major S&T achievements show staged on September 18, 2005, under a national initiative for the 10th Five-year period. The man-like robot played Taiji boxing and swords. The robot, named Huitong, is 1.6m tall, weighing 63 kg, and built with visual, verbal and other sensing functionalities. The event makes China second country following Japan in the world able to incorporate mechanisms, control, sensors, and power source in the robot.

Using sophisticated mimic technologies, Huitong can imitate man’s sophisticated acts, the first of its kin in the world. Designed to sense the variations in body equilibriums and surface altitudes, the robot can steadily walk forward, backward, and sideward, turn around, climb steps, and even walk on an unfeatured terrain.

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Mr. Mao Zhongying, Department of International Cooperation, MOST 15B, Fuxing Road Beijing 100862, PR China  Tel: (8610)58881360 Fax: (8610) 58881364

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