Harvest Program for China's Agriculture
It is reported from Chinese Ministry of Agriculture on August 13, 1999, that the so-called Harvest Program, a bridge linking agricultural scientific research and production activities, has so far successfully extended 257 proven agricultural techniques for their applications in farming, animal husbandry and fishery. These new applications have raised output values by RMB 70 billion on a cumulative basis and increased contribution rate of S&T to agriculture from original 34% to current 40% and above.
It is reported that Harvest Program jointly organized by Chinese Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Agriculture for the implementation has since 1987 extended 257 proven agricultural techniques with a benefited areas reaching 1.6 billion mu, increased grain yield of 42 billion kilograms, ginned cotton of 1.2 billion kilograms, fruits and vegetables of 3 billion kilograms and stock of 500 million heads, benefited fish growing area of 12 million mu, newly increased domestic animal products of 1.2 billion kilos and aquatic products of 800 million kilograms. These new harvests have made the newly increased output values reach RMB 70 billion on a cumulative basis and the ratio between input and output reach 1: 8.
The implementation of Harvest Program has promoted the extensive applications of new species and new technologies, which has in turn greatly changed China's agricultural structures. Last year had witnessed the areas growing new types of wheat, corn and rice breeding reaching 711 million mu. The upgrading rate has reached 56.1%. This has led to the bumper harvest of grains in the country for consecutive years. Last year China enjoyed a good grain harvest of 490 billion kilos despite of the impacts of Asian financial crisis and unprecedented flood damages in the country.
Since its implementation, Harvest Program has trained S&T personnel of 1 million person-time and farmers of 400 million person-time. With what they have learnt in the training, they have been actively involved in the extension of new agricultural technologies and laid a fine basis for the sustainable agricultural development in the country.
Steady Growth of China's S&T Budget
As shown by Statistical Bulletin on Investment in S&T in 1998 jointly published by Chinese State Statistical Bureau and Ministry of Science and Technology, last year had witnessed a steady growth of China's S&T budget in the gradually deepened course of S&T system reform. The financial input from the central authorities in S&T activities has been further enhanced with increased enterprises' awareness of investment in R&D of new products. Compared with last year, however, the growth rate of S&T input at local governmental level has dropped and the increase of R&D expenditures was slowed down.
The Bulletin has shown that in 1998 S&T budget collected in the country has reached RMB 128.98 billion, RMB 10.79 billion (9.1%) more than that of last year; per capita S&T budget in the country went up by RMB 7.7 than last year at RMB 103.3. In view of financial sources, the growth rate of funds collected by implementing bodies went faster with a proportion of 50.8% of the total budget collected, 6.2% more than last year; the proportion of governmental financial support and bank loans were 27.4% and 13.3% of the total respectively, about the same with that of last year. As shown by preliminary statistics, S&T investment by the national financial has reached RMB 46.65 billion, RMB 576 million (14.1%) up than last year; the said S&T investment is proportioned 4.2% of the total national financial expenditures, basically at the same level of last year. S&T investment from central authority sources has seen a faster growth with 10.2% in the total central financial expenditures; S&T investment by local authorities has been slowed down with a proportion of 1.9% in the local total.
The total expenditure of S&T funds in the whole year amounted to RMB 112.85 billion, RMB 6.33 billion (5.9%) more than last year. Calculated by the number of personnel engaged in the S&T activities, per capita S&T fund expenditure reached RMB 44,000, RMB 4,000 more than last year. The S&T expenditures from implementing bodies such as enterprises, R&D institutions and higher learning institutions reached RMB 53.23 billion, 48.49 billion, 7.32 billion respectively with corresponding growth rates at 8.2%, 2.7% and 16.1%. Their corresponding proportion in the total S&T expenditure were 47.2%, 43% and 6.5% respectively. Being one of the main bodies of S&T investment, large and medium industrial enterprises have maintained a steady growth of their S&T budget with the total amounting to RMB 47.87 billion in the year, RMB 4.03 billion (9.2%) up than last year. Considering the different regions, the ones whose S&T budget have gone over RMB 5 billion are Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Guangdong, Shandong, Sichuan and Liaoning; and the ones whose S&T budget for per S&T personnel reached or exceeded the nation's average level are Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Fujian and Jiangsu.
The total expenditure in R&D development of the whole year were RMB 55.11 billion, RMB 4.19 billion (8.2%) up than last year with a proportion of 0.69% in the nation's GDP, a bit higher than that of last year. Per capita R&D budget calculated on personnel engaged in R&D activities were RMB 73,000, RMB12, 000 more than last year. In terms of classified research types, the budget for basic research grew slowly with a decrease for applied research against last year and an increase for experimental development.
China's Campus S&T Development Strategy
Chinese Ministry of Education and Ministry of Science and Technology have recently co-sponsored a seminar on campus S&T development strategy to discuss campus S&T development plan.
It is reported that China has decided to make the development of campus S&T park an important component of Torch Program so as to accelerate high tech industry development and deepen the reform of S&T and education systems. It is planned to establish 100 campus S&T parks under the National Torch Program by stages and in groups during the 10th Five-Year Plan period so as to provide a fine environment for innovation activities of S&T personnel at higher learning institutions, spin off a great number of S&T enterprises, develop a number of large influential high tech enterprises and nurture a group of S&T oriented entrepreneurs. These efforts will make the total revenues of national campus S&T parks reaching RMB 10 billion during the 10th Five-Year Plan period.
Meanwhile, China will create fine development climate and promote the development of campus S&T parks by taking advantage of its preferential policies for high tech parks. National 863 Program, National Key Project Program and Torch Program will duly tilt towards campus S&T parks under the same condition so as to increase fund raising channels and promote qualified spin-off companies to go to the stock market.
China's Advanced Radar Identification Technology
Theoretical system of radar polarization information processing created Dr. Wang Xuesong, Institute of Electronics Engineering, China Defense S&T University, solved a world puzzle--improvement of radar identification efficiency.
Recently his doctorate thesis "Wide Band Polarization Information Processing" was submitted to authoritative domestic experts for review. Experts participating in in-depth review believe that his paper is an innovation result of international advanced level. The establishment of the said theoretical system not only makes China in the leading position in this field in the world but also creates practical application values for China's national defense in improving its military radar identification efficiency. Dr. Wang discovered the limitation of classical basic theory on polarization in his studies. To address the problem, he bravely put forward a new concept of instant polarization instead of the classical theory of electronic magnetic wave polarization. His new concept has led to the new theoretical system of radar polarization information processing.
Shanghai Scientists Obtained New Human
Genes For the First Time
The Southern Research Center of China National Human Genome Group announced recently that on the basis of its six-month efforts, it has found 300 full-length new genes, the first of their kinds in the world.
According to the functions by inference, the said 300 full-length human new genes can be grouped into eight major categories, of which 34 relating to internal secretion, 18 relating to cell division, 18 relating to signal transmission, 5 relating to cell structures or movement, 3 relating to cell and organization immunity, 29 relating to genetic expressions, 19 human metabolism and the rest to other unidentified categories for the time being.
Experts said the discover of these new genes for the first time in the world has laid a foundation for further revealing their functions, understanding the mechanism of related diseases and working out responding genetic treatment approaches and medicines.
Development of Express Information TV System in China
"YH2000 Express information TV system", a major national project undertaken by Chinese Institute of Engineering Physics for its research and development, has passed technical verifications recently. In the near future, downloading pictures and software from the Internet will be made through a wide cable TV network instead of the current narrow telecommunication network. In addition, TV programs and requesting programs will also digitally reach users in a fast and high-quality manner. As a result, a so-called "three-in-one network" combined the Internet, cable network and telecommunication network will be formed.
To massive users, in the future what they need to do to enjoy the three-in-one network is to open an account at a cable TV station providing high speed information services and buy a digital box worth of no more than RMB2000. By that time, households connected to cable TV lines in the country may see some changes in their life such as: they may watch high resolution digital TV program on their analogue TV sets with the help of digital boxes; a telephone call will make them able to request the movies or education programs. What will make these network subscribers more excited is the on-line speed of their computers will be greatly improved by 100 times to 1000 times when connected with digital boxes, which will in turn save lots of time and money.
It is briefed that Chinese Institute of Engineering Physics has completed the development of related series products such as front-end equipment of digital TV, high-speed Internet switch-in system, high-speed data broadcasting system and quasi-video program selecting system and digital box.
China Discovered Four Human New Genes
Wang Hongyang and others of Research Center of International Cooperation Biological Signal Transmission, Orient Liver and Gallbladder Hospital, have identified through cloning four new human genes PCP-1, BDP-1, SIRP family and FL6, the first of their kinds both at home and abroad. The newly discovered gene sequences have been collected by international EMBL gene bank with two of them granted with patent rights. Research papers have been quoted for more than 80 times in international core periodicals. Recently the result was awarded with the first prize of Military S&T Advance Award.
Wang Hongyang and others have paid special attention to understanding the functions of genes. While identifying PCP-1, BDO-1, SIRP family and FL6, they have clarified on a preliminary basis characteristics, signal transmission channels and basic biological functions of some of the new genes. They have confirmed the relevance of the above mentioned genes to cancers, especially liver cancers. They have for the first time put forward MAM classification method of receptor tyrosine phosphate ferment, which was re-confirmed by other scientists. Through the studies on SIRP family, they discovered the inhibiting effect of inhibitory receptor on cancer and its impacts on cancer signal transmission path. They also proposed the new theory of induced signal termination.
Zhongguancun Innovation Resources Network
China's Zhongguancun Innovation Resources Network was formally opened on August 10, 1999. This is another new initiative to improve the internal innovation environment within Beijing Haidian New Tech Industrial Development Experimental Zone. The said new network is composed of the homepage of Beijing Haidian New Tech Industrial Development Experimental Zone , Information Network of Chinese Zhongguancun Scientific Instrument Services , Information Network of Chinese Zhongguancun Science and Research Achievement and Consultative Network of China Zhongguancun Experts.
Zhongguancun district is of intensive intelligent resources though the enormous innovative resources in the area have not been well utilized due to the old system settings. As a result, important resources of scientific research instruments, results and personnel have not been fully utilized by the society and market. To change the situation, the Administration Committee of Beijing Haidian New Tech Industrial Development Experimental Zone has established the resources network with the strong support of other relevant institutions and organizations on the basis of making full use of the resources in the district. The construction of the new network is a major project for realizing sustainable development of Zhongguancun area.
The new network has systematically consolidated the key and advantageous resources in the zone including scientific and research instrument and equipment, research results and expertise in an all-around way. It has become a three-dimensional highway for integrated utilization of resources in Zhongguancun and made resources sharing possible. Both investors and developers may master and make full use of the innovation resources in the district through the network and develop their own businesses through interactive communications.
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