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N0.397

 

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

N0.397

March 20,2005

 

 

 

 

 
IN THIS ISSUE


 

* National S&T Awards Winners Revealed for 2004

* Enhanced Ecological Protection

* Joint Action for AIDS Control

* Overseas Expertise: a Part of Selection Process

* Efficient Farming Irrigation

* Sharing Field Emission Microscope Resources


 

SPECIAL ISSUES

 

National S&T Awards Winners Revealed for 2004

A conferring ceremony was recently held to honor the winners of National S&T Awards for 2004. New technologies, high performance carbon/ aviation carbon brake material preparation technique, and high temperature resistant, long-life, and oxidation resistant ceramic composites, are entitled to the top prize of the National Technology Invention Award.

A project to work on high performance carbon/aviation carbon brake material preparation techniques, accomplished by HUANG Boyun, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering working for the Zhongnan University and his collaborators, has resulted in a new technology and associated equipment capable for commercial applications of carbon brakes, the first instance in the world. The Chinese made technology supports the localization of carbon/ carbon brake materials for several hundred imported trunk airplanes in the country, and ensures the national strategic security for aviation. The success of the project not only erects a new industry for high performance aviation carbon brakes, but also produces a strong stimulus to technical advancement in other sectors, including space industry, chemistry, and transportation.

Applied technology for high temperature resistant, long-life, and oxidation resistant ceramic composites, another top prize winning project, is chaired and accomplished by ZHANG Litong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering working for the Northwest Polytechnic University. The fiber reinforced silicon carbide ceramic composite, rolled out on a consecutive basis from the project, is a new thermostructure material. Ability to produce such a material has become an international criteria to measure how advanced a nation’s spacecraft manufacturing capability is. The new ceramic composite caters to spacecraft needs for high speed, high accuracy, heavy payload, and long life. The development makes China third country in the world possessing the technology, following France and the US. The new technology expects an annual market perspective of RMB 1 billion.

Upon the approval of the State Council, the National Natural Science Award produced 28 2nd-prize winners for 2004, the National Technology Invention Award 28 winners, of which 2 for first prize, and 26 for second prize, and the National S&T Progress Award 244 winners, of which 16 crowned with first prize, and 228 the second. Winners of the International S&T Cooperation Award for 2004 are 5 foreign scientists. 

Enhanced Ecological Protection

Co-sponsored by the China Ministry of Science and Technology and State Environmental Protection Administration, a joint event to showcase the results derived from the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) and the Integrated Ecosystem Assessment of West China (MAWEC) was recently held in Beijing.

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment is a four-year international cooperation project. Since announced for a start by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on June 2001, some 1,300 scientists from 95 countries have become part of the project. Aiming at a multi-scaled comprehensive assessment of worldwide ecosystems and associated implications on human welfare, the project strives to provide reliable information on earth ecosystem changes for government decision makers.

The Chinese government vigorously supports MA, and kicked off the Integrated Ecosystem Assessment of West China (MAWEC) on June 2001, making it one of the cases investigated under sub-global ecosystem assessment efforts. MAWEC, under the international millennium ecosystem assessment framework, works on comprehensive assessment of the current status, evolutions, and future perspectives of ecosystems and associated service functions in west China, using system simulations and geoinformatics. Assessment results show that, in the past 2 decades, China’s west ecosystem has seen an increased diversity, making itself a major carbon sink. However, under the dual impacts of climate change and human activities, west China deplores for a sustained decrease of its firn area, and an ascended desertification area, with degraded ecosystems, though at different levels. The entire west region, in the context of ecosystem bearing capacity as a whole, leaves a limited potential for bearing capacity, though some parts have warned overloading.

Joint Action for AIDS Control

The Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Health, State Administration of Chinese Traditional Medicine, Henan Provincial Government, and Yun’nan Provincial Government have jointly inked an agreement for an official S&T action combating AIDS. Aiming at preventing, containing and treating AIDS diseases, the action is designed to conduct epidemic studies, therapeutic drug and vaccine development, clinical treatment studies and application demonstration, in addition to the establishment of a technology platform for AIDS research and development. Based on existing domestic research findings, and learning from proven overseas experience, the S&T action for AIDS will contribute to the development of AIDS drugs, testing reagents, vaccines, and clinical treatment solutions tailored to China’s needs. The initiative will, through enhanced demonstration and diffusion efforts, lift China’s capacity and technical level in containing and treating AIDS diseases, in an attempt to reduce AIDS occurrences and mortality.

LI Xueyong, Chinese Vice Minister of Science and Technology stressed that, first of all, cooperation shall be strengthened between provinces and central government agencies, in implementing the S&T action for AIDS. Provincial authorities and central government agencies will jointly establish a steering group to guide the action, in an attempt to enhance the coordination and joint action of AIDS prevention and control activities. Secondly, expertise shall be pooled up to address key technologies. Talents shall be gathered from state, government departments, localities, and industries to form an S&T force of talent and technical strength. Efforts shall also be made to facilitate key technology development and results applications. Thirdly, S&T input shall be increased to improve S&T infrastructures. On the existing basis, the Ministry of Science and Technology will add a budget of RMB 70 million for AIDS combat activities in the later part of the 10th Five-year period(2001-2005). The central government will increase its financing for both Henan and Yun’nan provinces, while asking the two provinces to add their respective dues for the same efforts. During the 11th Five-year period, the Ministry of Science and Technology will further enhance its input in AIDS related S&T activities. Fourthly, traditional medicines shall play a role in combating AIDS diseases, exploring diversified prevention and treatment modalities. Chinese traditional medicine shall play its role in the action, while strengthening the combined effect of western and traditional medicines. Exploring effective prevention and treatment modalities catering for China’s own needs. Last but not the least, strengthening international cooperation. Strengthening cooperation with international organizations, overseas universities, research institutes and enterprises. Fully absorbing, learning, and taking advantage of proven overseas experience, in an attempt to push AIDS prevention and treatment activities ahead.

Overseas Expertise: a Part of Selection Process

The China National S&T Award Committee has recently made a decision to expand overseas scientists’ role in screening potential winners of the National Natural Science Award. It says ready disciplinary fields shall invite overseas experts to be part of the reviewing process, in a move to enhance the fairness, authority and influence of S&T awards.

The China State Council revised at the end of 2003 the Rules on National S&T Awarding. The China Ministry of Science and Technology revised, accordingly, the by-laws on implementing the Rules on National S&T Awarding. To ensure a fair reviewing process, the National S&T Award Office established, under the principle of random selection and challenge, a selection committee, made up of experts from government agencies, research institutes, universities, and large enterprises in different sectors. Industrial and economic experts, and young and middle aged researchers are an enhanced player in the selection process. Overseas experts are also invited to be part of the reviewing process, by correspondence, for two disciplinary areas under the National Natural Science Award.

To implement reform measures in a solid manner, the National Natural Science Award has made overseas experts’ comments a part of its reviewing process, and established an overseas expert database for the purpose. In 2004, overseas experts’ reviewing comments were solicited by the mathematics and mechanics group and the physics and astronomy group. Each candidate project, after passing the online preliminary screening, was reviewed by 5-7 overseas experts. The joint screening process has produced identical reviewing results from both domestic and overseas experts. It is believed that the new screening modality plays a positive role in ensuring objectivity and fairness of the reviewing process for the best possible results.

Chief of the National S&T Award Office told reporters that learning from the existing experience on overseas experts reviewing, other disciplinary fields, when ready, shall combine online and conference reviews, and add more overseas weight in the process.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Efficient Farming Irrigation

A major special project, using biotechnology to save water in irrigation, organized by China Ministry of Science and Technology for implementation, has achieved substantial progresses. The effort has led to the establishment of an indicator system for assessing crop drought resistance in the breeding period, and associated techniques. The new system has rolled out new crops species having an enhanced water utilization by 16%-26%, with an increased yield by 20%.

Using incomplete irrigation theory as guidance, and an automatic system with a 3-D GPS laser information collection device, the project developed a modern fine-tuned ground irrigation system, and an incomplete irrigation technology system. The new systems increase irrigation water efficiency by 15%-30%, with a crop moisture productivity reaching 2kg/m3.

The project also resulted in a new theory for collecting precipitation biologically. The new theory produced new materials for soil-based rain collecting, claiming a stream collecting efficiency around 70%-80%. With a cost of RMB 3-4/m2, the new technique shortens the time for constructing a stream-collecting surface from 3 years under natural conditions to 30 days.

Researchers developed a fast R&D platform for water efficient micro-irrigation products, the first of its kind in the world, which shortens the cyclic development of a micro-irrigation product from 90-150 days to current 3-5 days, with a reduced cost from RMB 30,000-50,000 to current RMB 2000. The finding has been honored with first prize under a technical invention award sponsored by the Ministry of Education.

Sharing Field Emission Microscope Resources

Tsinghua University, in collaboration with the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Shandong University, and Qinghai University, established an online field emission microscope coordinating lab, making distant field emission microscope resources sharing its core.

The online sharing system can produce clear scanner and transmission electric microscopic video signals in real-time or static mode. It also transmits distant high definition signals. The project team successfully put through on July 15, 2004 a field emission microscope transmission between Qinghai University (user knot) and Tsinghua University (equipment knot). Another successful testing was also conducted on November 2, 2004 between Shandong University (user knot) and Tsinghua University (equipment knot). The tests successfully got through operator’s audio and video signals, dynamic electric microscopic signals, high definition electric microscopic video signals, and realized other operations, including marking, archiving, and online interactions.

The project, gathering together field emission microscope expertise from different localities, improves the utilization and experimental level of large scientific instruments. In an attempt to address the irrational distribution of large scientific instruments in the country, the project makes west China, a region lacking of large scientific instruments, using internationally advanced large scientific instruments possible.

Positioning Satellites at Same Time

A parallel high accuracy orbiting calculation system, developed by the Xi’an Satellite Control Center to perform high accuracy orbiting on multiple satellites at the same time, has passed the expert verification. Allowing China to fill up a blank for orbiting multiple satellites at the same time, the development marks an exciting commercial application perspective.

Thanks to more than 4-year painstaking efforts, researchers of the Center have successfully developed the parallel high accuracy orbiting calculation system. As a comprehensive orbiting calculation model and software system with multiple-satellite applications and diversified functions, the system is designed with a core function to orbit multiple satellites at the same time, with an accuracy reaching cm level. Trial applications show that the system has corned a cm-level positioning accuracy, with an advanced function to orbit multiple satellites in multiple arcs at the same time.

 NEWS BRIEFS

China First Transoceanic Expedition

The China State Oceanic Administration announced that China would soon kick off its first transoceanic expedition, in a move to map up sea floor minerals, thermofluid sulfides, bioresources, and associated environment. During the expedition, scientists will investigate extreme ambient organisms dwelled by the deep-sea thermofluid nozzle, in an attempt to discover new biogenetic species. The study of these cutting edge scientific issues also pays off for developing and testing China’s own high tech equipment used in deep-sea observation, and data collection and analysis.

The transoceanic expedition expects to observe and collect sulfides, water body, and offshore sediment samples, around thermofluid chimneys over 5 existing thermofluid phenomena areas in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans.  Scientists will also work to understand mineral compositions, metal element contents and ambient ecological phenomena of those samples, so as to make research findings be as useful as possible. 

National High Tech Parks Harvest

Statistics show that 53 national high tech parks have harvested a business revenue of RMB 2639.288 billion in 2004, landing a growth of 26%, with an industrial output amounting to RMB 2161.170 billion, or 25.23% for a growth.  In the same period, national high tech parks produced an added industrial value exceeding for the first time the threshold of RMB 500 billion to RMB 555.344 billion, with a 27.33% growth (higher than the national average of 16.2%), or 8.8% of the nation’s total for the same indicator. In the same year, high tech parks registered a profit and tax package accounting for RMB 118.957 billion, with a growth of 20.15%.

As of the end of last year, the number of enterprises stationed at national high tech parks has risen to 37,635. Of them, 26,000 are entitled to the rank of high tech businesses.  The one that claims an annual business revenue exceeding RMB 100 million reached 2,554 in number. Foreign invested businesses rose to 6,276 in number, including the one invested by Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan investors. At the end of the year, national high tech park population reached 4.4 million.

In 2004, 53 national high tech parks created from export hard currency worth USD 72.694 billion, secured a net growth of USD 21.677 billion, compared with the preceding year, or a growth of 42.49%, compared with same period of last year, or 43.91% of the nation’s total high tech export. High tech parks’ export has lifted the nation’s export volume by some 5%, accounting for 12.25% of the nation’s total export volume.


       Comments or inquiries on editorial matters or Newsletter content should be directed to: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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