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No.213

 
 
 


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


 
N0.213 February 10,2000
 
 
   
IN THIS ISSUE
  •  China's Top Ten News for Basic Scientific Researches in 1999
  •  Bemarkable Economic Benefits for China's S&T Consultation
  •  Tianjin's Concentrated Efforts for High Tech Development
  •  China Chip Developed
  •  New Aura and Flora Species Discovered in Yunnan
  •  China Sends Satellite into Orbit

    SPECIAL    ISSUES

 
China’s Top Ten News for Basic Scientific Researches in 1999

    1999 applauded for the bumper harvest achieved in Chinas basic scientific researches. The selection results on top ten news for Chinas basic scientific researches revealed by Lin Quan, General Secretary of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, have shown that these innovative major results would play guiding and promoting roles in raising the overall level of Chinas basic researches in the new century.

    On the basis of extensive solicitation of scientists opinions and comments and analysis of 400 questionnaires distributed, the screening results of chinas Top Ten News for Basic Scientific Researches in 1999 were as follows:

  1. Birth of cloned goat from genetically modified goat cells and the birth of first genetically modified tube ox;
  2. New progress achieved in hydrogen saving nanometer carbon tube studies;
  3. Multiple major discoveries and progress in Chinas paleobiological studies;
  4. Chinese scientists discovered the genes restricting the formation of tumor blood vessels;
  5. Experimental studies of Implicit Quantum State Transmission was selected by Nature as the century classic literature for contemporary physics;
  6. Chinese scientists have defined the orientation state of single carbon 60 molecule on silicon surface;
  7. Chinese scientists have achieved new remarkable breakthroughs in synthesis and studies of new nucleins;
  8. Major progress for Chinas studies of Antarctic ice cover and completion of Catalog of Chinas Glaciers;
  9. Major progress for Chinas optical nature studies of ion based phonon crystal;
  10. Chinese scientists have completed genetic sequencing of WSBV.

     
    As briefed by Dr. Shao Liqin, Deputy General Director, Dept. of Basic Research, Ministry of Science and Technology, the state invested Rmb 4.9 billion in basic research activities in 1999. The second group of national priority projects for basic research have also been screened out and among the 45 selected, 42 have already started their scientific journey. This year will see a total budget of Rmb 1.04 billion allocated by National Natural Science Foundation, 180 million more than that of last year. As a result 3496 projects will be financed with a total budget of Rmb 471 million. A budget of Rmb 375 million will be allocated to 2716 projects with free chosen topics. There are 627 projects to be financed by Youth Foundation with a budget of Rmb 76.76 million. The financing strength has been raised from Rmb 123,000 per project last year to Rmb 135,000 this year. Remarkable Economic Benefits for China’s S&T Consultation


      Chinese Association of Science and Technology has established an S&T consultation network consisted of multiple disciplines with a nation wide coverage. As shown by the statistics for 1998, there were 2083 S&T consultation agencies subordinated to S&T associations at different levels. Together with S&T consultation agencies run by enterprises and rural professionalism associations, the number has reached over 10,000 in total.

      From 1997 to 1998, S&T consultation agencies under the system of Chinese Association of Science and Technology completed 47,000 S&T consultation projects with 78,000 S&T proposals made, 41,000 applied advanced technologies diffused, 130,000 S&T consultation contracts signed and Rmb 3.5 billion of contractual payment secured.

      Focused upon difficulties and hot issues arisen in the economic development, S&T associations at different levels have provided many policy related consultation services. For examples, opening their monthly forum on science and technology in 1984, Fujian Provincial S&T Association has kept holding the forum to over 100 sessions with the participation of provincial leaders of 200 person/time and experts 3000 person/time. Their efforts have promoted scientific process of decision making in the province. In the last decade, Hunan Provincial S&T Association has completed over 200 consultation projects for major decision making processes. Their studies such as Response Strategies on Control of Dongting Lake and Yangtze River and Response Strategies of High Tech Development in Hunan Province have drawn great attention of provincial authorities and played their important roles in practice.

      The future S&T consultation targets defined by S&T association communities in the country are: by 2010, to establish a S&T consultation service network of rational structures, advanced means and sound networking, covering the cities and S&T associations at county level and above. By 2015, the said network will, supported by networking system, become a modern information technology based S&T consultation industry mainly providing intellectual services on its integrated strength.
       

      Tianjin’s Concentrated Efforts for High Tech Development


      Year 2000 will see Tianjins concerted efforts in the accelerated development of three major high tech industries including electronic information, biotechnology and modern medicine and new energy.

      It is planned that by 2002 the total industrial output of the said three industries shall reach Rmb 86 billion with an annual average growth at over 20% and their weight in the citys total industrial output reaching 23.5%.

      According to the plan formulated by Tianjin Municipal Government, electronic information industry will focus on the consolidation and improvement of its advantageous position in digital programmed switching system and optical telecommunication and promoting the development of telecommunication terminal products by taking advantage of the development of Tianjin information gateway. It will support the development of computer, software and system integration sectors especially in the areas of multi-media computers, display monitors and electronic commercial software. It will also backup the development of network products and digital audio and video products.

      In the field of biotechnology and modern medicine, it will establish a new research and development system in line with international practice, accelerate the commercialization of scientific research results and upgrade existing pharmaceutical industries so as to form the socalled two-wing development pattern mainstreamed with in-depth processing of raw materials and medical preparations and supported by modern biomedicine and natural drugs.

      In the area of new energy, priorities will be placed on the development of high performance batteries, efficient machinery and electronic equipment and solar energy consuming products. It will establish the largest green high performance battery production base in the country with an annual output of 20 million lithium-ion cells and 100 million nickel hydrogen cells.

      Meanwhile, Tianjin is planning to create a new material industry featured with bisphenol a and high performance metal materials, an integrated sophisticated forming and processing tool industry and an environmental protection industry focused on urban sewage treatment and water purification.

    RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

    Internationally Advanced Super Fine Dust Manufacturing Technique


      New Technologies and Industries Development Office of Shanghai Municipal Government sponsored the appraisal check on pilot experiment of 15-ton super fine PMMA dust through the innovative spray transferring approach and approved 4 technical results laid on the table on January 18, 2000. Experts believe that four technical results developed by Shanghai Weilai Modern S&T Development Co. have reached internationally advanced level.
       
      The innovative spray transferring approach developed by Weilai has become a new technique producing superfine dust. The new technique filled up a blank in domestic preparation for superfine high polymer dust. With the help of multiple layers and large caliber, the nanometer TiO2 optical air purifying mesh of large caliber has the merits of small air resistance, rational distribution of light strength and economy, which has laid a foundation for larger scale application industry of optical air purification technique. Hardened coating pilot experiment resin has made the hardness of pencil reach 6H with strong abrasion resistance, fine climate adaptability and improved adherence. It is of common applications to strengthening plastic surface and may become the substitute for imported products. Sodium fluosilicate based superfine white carbon manufacturing technique has improved the quality of domestic made white carbon with its performance indicators the same as the internationally advanced. In addition, the new technique is of bright development future with its merit making full use of fluorine resources and protecting environment.

       

    China Chip Developed


      In less than a period of 3 years, scientists of Peking University have worked out Chinas first microprocessor with its own intellectual property right and associated designing platform. The development is a historical stride in manufacturing Chinas own microprocessor.

      Approval check expert panel including four academicians believe that the result is the first of its kind in the country with some of its technologies reaching the internationally advanced level and it is of importance to developing Chinas own microprocessor industry. Being the heart of computer and the cornerstone of information skyscraper, microprocessor has found its existence everywhere in the modern society from household electronic appliances to missile guiding and giant computer. Unfortunately this core technology of information industry have long been mainly in the hands of few countries.

      China started its research and development of microprocessor in 1997. Now Chinese scientists have successfully developed Chinas first microprocessor and associated designing platform including innovative assembler generator and coder with refreshed targets and so on. This provides a set of tools for microprocessor research.
       

    Chinese Traditional Medicine for Endotoxin Treatment


      Jointly developed by Shenyang Feilong Pharmaceutical Ltd. of Feilong Group Ltd. (Hong Kong) and Sichuan Research Institute of Chinese Traditional Medicine, Sheduping capsule, a green medicine dedicated for endotoxin treatment has recently made its debut in Shenyang. Experts declared that this was the first purely natural medicine in the world for endotoxin treatment.

      It is reported that the said drug is the result of 6-year painstaking efforts of Feilong Pharmaceutical Ltd. and Sichuan Research Institute of Chinese Traditional Medicine. Testing has shown that D matter contained in the drug is of the resistance to endotoxin. This is the first time in the world that this element has been discovered of direct killing effects on different endotoxins such as Gram negative endotoxin, Gram positive lipopolysaccharide, glycopeptide and mycoplasma. The research result has created a completely new therapy and medicine for treating infections and other accompanying inflammations.

      Approved by National Drug Supervising Administration, the production line of the said new drug is applied with the socalled effective elements extraction techniques for Chinese traditional medicine, a major scientific result advocated for further extension in 9th Five-Year Plan. Thus the products are refined and sources and end products in the whole manufacturing process reach the quantitative standard in line with international practice, which in turn opens a bright perspective for its international competition.

       

    New Aura and Flora Species Discovered in Yunnan


      Chinese scientists have made a number of major discoveries in their two-year expeditions over Yunnan Daweishan Nature Conservation Zone. They first disclosed these new species on January 17, 2000.

      Yang Yuming, deputy head of the expedition team, renowned Chinese scientist on bamboo studies and Vice President of Southwest Academy of Forestry, said that so far scientists have confirmed 9 new aura and flora species with 39 genus and 65 subspecies for fungus. Of them, 5 species are for Malus spectabilis, 3 for bamboo and 1 for amphibious animal. Recently these new species have been verified and confirmed by Forestry Authorities.

      Located at the cross section between Binbian County and Hekou County of Hani-Miao Autonomous District, Yunnan Province, and sitting on the Tropic of Cancer, Daweishan Nature Conservation Zone is the only tropical rainforest spot with typical southeast temperate nature in Chinahumid rainforest, which is covered by 230,000 mus of virgin forest. Before the expedition, no scientists both from home and abroad had made systematic investigations over this region.

      Daweishan was listed as no-felling zone in 1956 by Yunnan Provincial Government and it became a nature conservation zone in 1986. As a result, Daweishan has become Chinas aura and flora genetic bank.

      As briefed by senior officials of Yunnan Provincial Department of Forestry, taking into account the emerging value of the conservation zone, provincial authorities will strengthen its protection by applying for the national class treatment of the zone before long. In addition, the area of the existing protection zone will be doubled.

    NEWS  BRIEFS

      China Sends Satellite into Orbit

      China successfully put a telecommunications satellite, the Zhongxing-22, into orbit with a Long March 2-A rocket. The carrier rocket blasted off at 00:45 (Beijing time), January 26,2000, from the Xichang atellite Launching Center in Sichuan Province, southwest China.

      This is the fourth flight of the powerful carrier rocket since it made its debut in 1994. The carrier rocket had previously succeeded in putting into orbit two telecommunications satellites and one scientific experimentalsatellite. The launch is the 60th of the Long March carrier family. Since October 1996, carrier rockets of this family have made 18 successful flights in a row.

      The Zhongxing-22 satellite weighs 2,300 kilograms. it will be mainly used for ground telecommunications under the supervision of the China Telecommunications and Broadcasting Satellite Corporation. The satellitewill be in service for about eight years.

      In 30 minutes after launching, the satellite entered the predetermined earth-synchronous orbit, with a perigee of 210 kilometers, and an apogee of 41,974 kilometers. It is expected to be positioned at 98 degrees eastlongitude above the equator.
       

    Beijing International High Tech Industry Week


      Approved by the Chinese State Council, China Beijing International High Tech Industries Week will be held during the period of May 8-12, 2000 in Beijing.

      At the news briefing relating to the said event held on January 10, 2000, Liu Qi, Chairman of the Organizing Committee and Mayor of Beijing Municipality, said that the event, co-sponsored by Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, Ministry of Education and Beijing Municipal Government, is the concrete expression in implementing Chinese Governments strategies of rejuvenating the country with science and education and rejuvenating the trade with science and technology through strengthening its international high tech cooperative ties. Up to date delegations of governmental, business or professional background from over 40 countries and regions have expressed their interest in the event. 18 other large international conferences and national activities on high tech and associated trade, investment and personnel exchange events co-sponsored by international organizations such as UNDP, UNID and EU will also be held during the period.

      Xu Guanhua, Vice Minister of Science and Technology, and Zhang Xiang, Vice Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, were also presented at the news briefing.


             Comments or inquiries on editorial matters or Newsletter content should be directed to:Mr. Dong Jianlong, Department of International Cooperation, MOST 15B, Fuxing Road Beijing 100862, PR China  Tel: (8610)68512650 Fax: (8610) 68512594, or Mr. Wang Jianping, Editor,NEWSLETTER, 15 Fuxing Road Beijing 100038, PR China, Tel:(8610) 68515544 Ext. 2921

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