Remarkable Achievements for China's S&T Campaign
Since the implementation of its S&T blueprint for the 9th Five-Year Plan, China has seen concentrated efforts on tackling a number of key technologies and major progress or remarkable achievements in the first three years.
It is reported that 240 projects and 3600 dedicated topics centering around agri culture, basic industries, pillar industries, high tech industries and social su stainable development were defined by the blueprint with participants of 70,000 person/time and a total estimated budget of Rmb 19 billion, of which Rmb 5 bill ion comes from state appropriations. During the first three years of the 9th Fi ve-Year Plan period, the state has allocated Rmb 3.2 billion for the implem entation of blueprint, 65% of the total budget expected from the state.
As shown by the mid-term projects inspection and individual major projects appra isal, 90% of the dedicated topics have reached their phased targets on time or i n advance with 42% of them reaching international advanced level and an increasi ng number of projects being directly translated into products for enhanced econo mic benefits. According to the statistics on 98 projects, the first three years have registered an increased output value of Rmb 31.33 billion, net profits of Rmb 3.16 billion, paid tax of Rmb 540 million and export volume of USD 33 0 million.
It is also reported that to ensure the sound implementation of S&T projects defined for the 9th Five-Year Plan period, Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology have recently added 28
more projects with fine progress and perspectives into "priority of the priorities" on the list of original 23 selected by the former State Science and Technology Commission. The state wi ll strive to make these 51 projects see better results through readjusting inter nal structures, increasing budget, application of new mechanism, improving the i mplementation and strengthening management.
The newly added priority projects include decision making of agricultural expert s, and information system, key software technology and their applications, CAD
techniques of integrated circuits, lithium battery and medium and short term sei smological forecasting.
The preparation of China's first medium and long term S&T development plan
facing the new century raised its curtain in Beijing on May 28, 1999. Ministry of Science and Technology has organized responsible people and experts in charge of science and technology in localities and governmental agencies in the countr y to start the preparation of a 10th Five-Year national S&T development plan sta rting from 2001 and a long term blueprint of 2015.
As briefed by Madame Deng Nan, Vice Minister of Science and Technology, 10th Fiv e-Year Plan and 15-year blueprint to be drafted will be tailored to the re quirements for realizing phase three strategic targets of national economic and social development with the main tasks of promoting the close marriage between S &T and economy and improving transferring and industrialization of research resu lts, and the basic targets of increasing S&T contribution to the national econom ic growth enhancing S&T and integrated national strength. On the basis of econom ic development, social advance and national security as a whole, the plan and bl ueprint will propose China's S&T development strategy, objectives, targets and m easures for the early next century so as to realize a coordinated pattern integr ated with sustained economic, social and S&T development.
It is briefed that the preparation of 10th Five-Year Plan and 15-ye ar blueprint will be phased in overall studies and dedicated studies on major to pics. The overall studies will lead to proposing China's S&T development strateg y and general objectives on the basis of analyzing challenges and opportunities both at home and abroad in the 21st century and general demand of national econo my and social development for S&T. Dedicated studies will cover a number of maj or areas such as agricultural S&T development, major industrial S&T problems, ma jor S&T issues encountered in social development, high tech research and develop ment, basic research, S&T input and supporting conditions for S&T development, S &T human resources development, international S&T cooperation and regional S&T d evelopment.
Studies and preparation of 10th Five-Year S&T development plan and 15-year blu eprint are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2000.
Major Reform Endeavor for China's S&T System
A major S&T reform plan was approved by China's State Council for the implement ation. According to this reform plan, 242 research institutions subordinated to 10 governmental agencies under the jurisdiction of National Economy and Trade Co mmission, in accordance with detailed requirements of industrialization while ta king into account their own conditions, shall select their own reform appro aches including spinning off into S&T related enterprises, being wholly or parti ally merged into enterprises or becoming technical service and intermediary firm s. A limited number of research institutions who are approved to maintain their existing structures shall also introduce the operational mechanism of S&T enter prises. Research institutions who are required to restructure will work upon th e new mechanism starting from July 1st, 1999.
As required by seniors officials of State Council, heads of these 242 institutio ns attended a discussion meeting jointly held by Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology and State Economy and Trade Commission. The major purpose of the me eting is to promote the smooth restructuring of these institutions and accelera te their industrialization.
To ensure the smooth restructuring, a number of favorable policies have been wor ked out in addition to detailed implementation plan. After restructuring, state budget will be made available as before so as to address social security is sues such as pension of retired employees. Starting from 1999, the restructured institutions will enjoy exemption of industrial income tax, business tax for te chnology transfer and land use tax for structural development on their own land in a period of five years. They are also allowed to enjoy import and export righ ts for their own manufactured goods and state preferential treatment for S&T ent erprises, national research programs or projects bidding and other rights enjoye d by similar research institutions.
"Explorer 108" Mass Computer System
A research result of National 863 Program，
to match high tech development with market call. As proved by exper ts, the system has reached internationally advanced level and taken a leading po sition in terms of its message transmission software and rollback functions. Th e system has been used to calculate 36-hour weather forecasting at Beijing Meteo rological Observatory. It takes similar amount of time as IBM's SP2 that is of 2 4 central processors but has recorded higher parallel efficiency with only one t enth of the price of the latter.
500 New Species Bred by Nuclear Techniques
China has bred out 510 new plant species with the assistance of nuclear techniques. Zhu Jiang, Deputy Secretary General, Chinese Association of Isotope and Radiation, said that these species are mainly agriculture related pl ants such as rice, wheat and cotton with the vastest extension areas reaching 9 million hectares. These new species have increased the yield of grain, cotton a nd oil by 4 million tons with an annual economic benefit of Rmb 3.3 billion.
Zhu Jiang added that so far nuclear techniques have been extensively used in agr iculture for sustaining intensive production of crops and domestic animals, impr oving grain quality, avoiding deterioration of agricultural product and reducing the pollution of agricultural production to the environment. Many-year experi ments have shown that these new species have produced no harm to human body.
He also disclosed that China has started in some areas to produce feeds, improve reproduction and prevent diseases of domestic animals with nuclear techniques a nd has harvested good results. In addition China has tested eradication of flie s with nuclear techniques at a small scale in Guizhou and other areas.
It is reported that China has developed rice fertilizer application method with nitrogen-15 isotope tracing technique and increased nitrogen utilization rate b y 20%. The method has been extended to over 500,000 hectares of rice fields and achieved economic benefit of Rmb 570 million.
Studies on Ecological Environment Evolution of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
Targeted for a 3000 km long section running from south to north through the Qing hai-Tibet Plateau, Chinese scientists are studying the impacts of environmental evolution of middle and south part of the Plateau on the Plateau's rise and grow th and spatial and temporal distribution of paleoecology in typical areas.
It is briefed by Wang Sumin, research fellow of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS ), who is responsible for the project that the ecological section located on the ridge of the world starts from Qinghai lake in the north, China's largest inlan d salt lake and ends up at the east of Tibet enjoying sub-tropical like climate in the south, covering different climatic zones including the frigid, temperate and toriid zones and correspondingly various vegetation belts. Scientists will study pollen of contemporary plants in the plateau environment and its relations hip with vegetation types and climatic elements through field investigations and soil sample collection so as to establish plateau sporppollen climate model and restore some of ecological elements for the Plateau's paleoclimate.
It is reported that scientists will drill a well as deep as 400 meters near the Namucuo lake in the south of the Plateau so as to study paleoecology and paleocl imate there with the help of lake sediments.
Nicknamed as the third pole of the world, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is of a un ique climate with numerous biological types growing in many intact virgin enviro nments. Recent years have seen more and more attention of S&T communities both at home and abroad paid to geographic and ecological studies in the area.
HP Enhances its Investment in China
Mr. Lew Platt, HP's Chairman and CEO announced recently that his company would continue its efforts in developing China's high tech industry, improving its col laborative partnership with China and enhancing its investment in the country.
Mr. Platt made the remarks in his visiting to HP enterprises in Beijing. He bel ieved that HP's success lies in the harmonious marriage between HP's own appro ach and China's actual condition which had led to a new industrial culture ful l of vitality and agreeable with China's national development. He also pointed out that HP has enjoyed 34% increase of its net profits and 3% growth of its rev enues in the second financial quarter against the same period of last year, whic h has gone beyond the expectations made by Wall Street in three consecutive quarters.
Up to date, HP has created 12 ventures of independent or joint investment with a total investment of USD 500 million. These ventures are mainly manufacturing computers, printers, electronic measuring instruments, chemical analyzers and me dical equipment. HP has recently started its strategic restructuring during whi ch new ventures manufacturing measuring instrument, computers and imagery produc ts will enhance their roles in electronic service. On the basis of maintaining its existing ventures, HP will establish a joint venture manufacturing measuring instruments with China Electronics Import & Export.
Mr. Platt expressed that HP would enhance its investment in China in due time.
Quantum Telecommunication and Computation Open Lab
China Science and Technology University (CSTU) recently announced the establishm ent of its open lab for quantum telecommunication and computation.
The investigation group headed by Prof. Guo Guangcan of CSTU have pioneered t heir studies in quantum information science and achieved a number of innovative results in the fields of quantum code, quantum telecommunication, quantum compu tation coding and non-cloning principle of quantum. They have published 80 pape rs in the last three years. The principles preventing quantum coding error and cloning quantum probability created by the group in the first place in the world are in the leading position of the area. The maximum probability cloning effic ient deducted by the group was honored as"Duan-Guo Limit"
To concentrate their efforts on the studies, CSTU has established the open lab f or quantum telecommunication and computation headed by Prof. Guo Guangcan, a tu tor for doctorate students. The Lab will focus on basic challenges facing both t heoretical and experimental studies of quantum information science. In the near term, they will pay major attention to quantum code, quantum telecommunication, quantum logic elements and computation and quantum computers are the long-term t arget. The Lab will absorb talented people from both at home and abroad to inte nsify the efforts and encourage extensive international exchanges and collaborat ions so as to make it a top level research base in China.
China's First Hemopoietic Cell and Genetic Engineering Center
On the basis of Hematonosis Hospital of Hematonosis Research Institute, China Co ncord Medical University, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, China's first He mopoietic Cell and Genetic Engineering Center was founded recently in Tianjin.
Consisting of three major departments (experiments, clinic and cells bank), the new center is the largest of its kind in the country integrated with applied tec hnology, biotechnology, clinical technology and products development. It is a m ulti-discipline center with the basic research, biologic technology and clinic a pplication tightly related. The center is focusing on hemopoietic stem cell tran splantation (including transplantation of bone marrow, periphery stem cell, cord blood and immune cells) and genetic treatment techniques. Its appearance will bring about good news to patients suffering malignant hematonosis, immune defect s, genetic diseases and common transitional malignant tumors.
Tsinghua Institute of Auto Engineering Research and Development Beijing Founded
Tsinghua Institute of Auto Engineering Research and Development was jointly esta blished recently by Tsinghua University and Huachen Holding Company with the investment of Rmb 100 million from the latter as the dedicated fund for th e Institute.
The newly established Institute will be mainly engaged in technical development for auto manufacturing and products designing. Backboned by Dept. of Auto Engine ering, Tsinghua University, and supported by Tsinghua Institute of Machinery Eng ineering and a number of existing national key labs in the university, the new I nstitute will target for developing and designing auto technologies with Chinese own patent rights and support the development of China's national auto industry and technological advance.
