In China, there are four types of national awards trophying S&T achievements. They are National Natural Science Award, Technological Invention Award, Science and Technology Advance Award and Award for International Cooperation in Science and Technology. On December 25, 1997, 626 excellent S&T results were conferred with the said awards.

Mr. Hui Yongzheng, Vice Minister of State Science and Technology
Commission, announced that 51 research results headed by "Xin Erhe
Calculation of Hamilton System" were conferred with National Natural
Science Awards (1 First Prize, 8 Second, 30 Third and 12 Fourth); 100
research results headed by "Creation and Utilization of Aimen'niu, a New
Wheat Breeding of Short Stalk, Multi-resistance and High yield" were
granted with National Technological Invention Awards (1 First Prize, 13
Second, 46 Third and 40 Fourth); and 475 research projects headed by
"Designing and Construction of Qingshan 300,000 kW Nuclear Power Plant"
and "Simulation Platform of Air-born Airplane Engines with Continuous Air
Source" were conferred with National Science and Technology Advance
Awards (3 Special Prizes, 19 First, 150 Second and 303 Third). Mr. Hui
also presented Awards for International Cooperation in Science and
Technology to Dr. Lin Shaoming, Director of Ophthalmology，Hospital of
Singapore National University and Chairman, World Doctors Association of
Cataracts and Dr. Le Bohan of France, official of EU Information.

As disclosed, the Selection Committee of National S&T Awards received
1400 nominations from localities, governmental agencies and relevant
authorities of military forces. The awarded projects were approved by
State Science and Technology Commission with special prizes winners
approved by the State Council. The awarded projects involved 3,700 and
more scientific and technological personnel. Covering different aspects
of economic and social development and national defense, the awarded
projects have basically reflected the major progress achieved in the
nation's different sectors and localities. Of them, industries, national
defense, agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, fishery, hydraulic
projects, health, sports, social welfare, scientific research and
integrated technical services have taken large proportions.

It is worth mentioning that among 51 projects granted with National
Natural Science Awards, 4 are completed by 5 Hong Kong compatriots, which
made the year 1997 enjoy the most national natural science awards to Hong
Kong compatriots since its opening the door to Hong Kong and Macao
regions 9 years ago.



RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Researchers of China Science and Technology University have successfully
produced China's first X-ray hologram of biological samples with the help
of synchronous radiation light source and reproduced the hologram through
optical and computer means.

The soft X-ray imaging research group led by Prof. Xie Xingshu, China
Science and Technology University, have worked many years on soft X-ray
imaging technique. Under his guidance, Dr. Yang Shaoguang and other
members of the group carried out the research on soft X-ray radiation
light sources at Hefei National Synchronous Radiation Lab for three
years. In June 1997, they successfully produced the soft X-ray hologram
and realized the reproduction through optical and computer means. The
result was confirmed by participants of 7th Asian and Pacific Conference
on Physics. Not long ago, they derived the soft X-ray hologram of
biological samples, the first of its kind in the country and reproduced
the cell hologram of the fly's wing and onion. They also developed
related computer reproduction technology and associated schemes. The said
efforts have greatly promoted the development of X-ray hologram imaging
in the country.

Experts believed that the further development of soft X-ray hologram will
help people to observe the tiny structures of living cells, explore the
mystery of life and eventually lead to the revolutionary change of ways
of biological studies.

Chinese made top drive drill DQ-60D passed the approval of China
Petroleum and Natural Gas General Corp. on December 29, 1997. To date,
China has become the fifth who is able to manufacture top drive drills
following US, Norway, Canada and France, which marked a new stage that
Chinese petroleum machinery industry has embarked on.

Top drilling technique is one of the two important changes (top driven and
disc brake) to rotary drills that have been used for almost one hundred
years. The socalled top driving engine may transmit the driving power
from the top so as to directly drive the drilling bit. By removing the
Kelly bar, cyclic rotation drilling can be realized whether at the start
of drilling or in the course of drilling and blockades easily detected.
The technique is especially good for complex wells, horizontal wells and
large scale shifting operation. With the application of top drive
drilling, single drills ( 9 meters) can be replaced by connected drills
(27 meters of three integrated single drills) so as to improve the
efficiency.

Experts believed that the general technique of DQ-60D has reached that of
similar foreign products in the 1990s with some specifications better
than the latter. It is reported that the last few years have witnessed 30
Chinese made top-driving engines installed on 6000 meters of drills.

On November 27, 1997, Prof. Hong Bingrong and his seven doctorate
students celebrated the birth of their "son", the simulation system of
armed free flying robot.

Research on free flying robot is a sophisticated subject. Since cosmos
presents an environment without gravity and the robot is affected by its
swinging attitude, it is difficult for the robot's arms to grasp the
target in an accurate manner. In addition, it is also difficult to
control the action of free flying robot from the ground as the cosmos is
too far away from the earth. To address these thorny problems, Prof. Hong
and his colleagues studied dynamics of armed free flying robot and its
associated model and coordinated arm catching strategy. Then they
developed algorithm to calculate the target catching route without man's
interference and algorithm to plan the recovery of satellites out of
work. On the said basis, they developed computer based simulation system
to test the proposed theory and feasibility of their algorithm.

Many techniques used in the research have reached world advanced level.
For examples, route planning for catching stationary or moving objects
under little gravity environment and mission planning to recover the
satellite out of work. Space experts thought highly of the computer based
simulation demonstrated.



INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

On December 18, 1997, Chinese and French scientists celebrated the first
anniversary of their joint laboratory. Mr. Xu Zhihong, Vice President of
Chinese Academy of Sciences and Mr. Pierre Molel, French Ambassador in
Beijing were present at the ceremony.

Mr. Wang Shaoqi, Director-General, Dept. of International Cooperation,
State Science and Technology Commission, believed that the development of
joint labs has become a new model for international S&T cooperation and
he added that China-French Joint Lab is a successful model for S&T
cooperation between the two countries. Being an open research institution
between Chinese Academy of Sciences and French National Institute of
Information and Automation, China-French Joint Laboratory of Information,
Automation and Applied Mathematics was founded in January 1997. It mainly
serves the cooperative basic research and application development between
Chinese and French scientists. It also plays a liaison role between S&T
communities and industrial communities of two the countries and develop
samples or sample models for general industries and service industries.

The Joint Lab has fully given expression to the spirit of openness and
joint participation of Chinese and French scientists. Researchers from
nine institutions such as Chinese Academy of Sciences, Peking University,
Tsinghua University, Nanjing University and Shanghai Jiaotong University
and some large companies were involved in 7 projects financed by the Lab
in 1997.

Ambassador Molel praised the originality of the Joint Lab and said the
cooperation has gone beyond the individual exchanges between scientists.
The research results of the Joint Lab have potential perspectives for
industrialization and marketing. He asked French industrial communities
to pay more attention to the research results of the Lab. It is revealed
that the research results developed by a group of high quality and high
level scientists in the Lab are of high reliability.

A Revised Guidance Directory on Industries Open to Foreign Investment
came into effect at the start of this year.

Foreign investors may now be exempted from tariffs and import-related
value-added taxes for projects that the Chinese Government encourages
and supports.

Vice-Minister of the State Planning Commission Ye qing said the directory
contains 329 items, 270 of which involve tax exemptions, a sign China
will open wider to the outside world.

The major areas encouraged by the State are as follows:

*New agricultural techniques, comprehensive agricultural development,
energy, transport, and major raw materials;

*High and new technology, advanced techniques, and new equipment and
materials which can improve product functions, save energy and raw
materials, raise economic returns, and meet market demands, where China's
production capacity is insufficient:

*Projects that can meet international market demands, up-grade products,
open up new markets, and increase exports;

*New techniques and equipment for the full use of natural resources and
for environmental pollution control;

*Projects that can take full advantage of resources and labour in central
and western China.

The State Planning Commission has also listed industries, products and
technology projects to which the State is currently giving priority. This
covers 29 industries, including agriculture, forestry, power, machinery,
and electronics.

The commission will readjust and revise the list every year, in line with
the development of the national economy.

Ye also elaborated on the guiding principles for selecting the projects
the State encourages.

He said this policy readjustment is designed to benefit China's economic
restructuring and improve its investment structure. It will also create a
better environment for foreign investment in an effort to maintain
sustainable, rapid and healthy economic growth.

Legitimate rights of copyright owners, dealers and consumers of
audiovisual products will be protected better as a new regulation on the
control of such products goes into effect on January 1,1998, officials
said yesterday.

The Regulation on the control of Audiovisual Products of Beijing, passed
by the Beijing Municipal People's congress in July, will replace the
Regulation on the Control of Publications and Audiovisual Markets.

The old regulation, promulgated in 1990, has played an important role in
the stable and healthy development of Beijing's audiovisual markets and
in cracking down on illegal audiovisual products and businesses, said
officials with the Beijing Municipal Radio and Television Bureau.

In the past eight years, more than 4,500 illegal dealers and 2,000
illegal booths were banned and more than 1.5 million illegal audiovisual
products were confiscated in Beijing, according to statistics given by
the bureau.

Beijing has become an important centre for publishing and distributing
audiovisual products in China with 132 publishers, 13 copiers, 51
wholesalers, and 2,000 renters, retailers and viewing parlours, the
official said.

The new regulation covers articles concerning the publishing, copying,
wholesale, rent, sales, import, inspection on the content, transportation
and mail of audiovisual products, the official said.

Stipulations in the new regulation are much more specific than the old
one, the official said.

An intensive publicity campaign will be launched next week in the capital
city to popularize the new regulation and to enhance people's law
awareness, the official said.

A spokesman for the State Copyright Administration said China has closed
down at least 50 illegal production lines since last year and several
million smuggled Cds and VCD2 have been confiscated this year.

In the first half of the year, China opened its first State-run chain of
stores that lease audio and video products; it plans to set up at least
60,000 shops in the chain, the spokesman said.

The Ministry of Culture has also opened wholesale markets in some large
cities to limit copy-right violations usually done by private business
people.

The spokesman said things are better for the audio and video industry,
and foreigners have more opportunities to enter the Chinese market.

Companies from the United States, Britain and Japan attended an
international audio and video fair last August in Beijing. Warner Bros
has agreed to allow a Chinese VCD company to re-produce its Oscar-winning
films and sell them in China, the spokesman said.