China’s Spacecraft Maiden Flight
At 6:30, November 20, 1999, “Shenzhou”, China’s first unmanned experimental spacecraft was shot from Jiuquan Satellite Launching Center into the sky. After finishing what it was missioned about for some scientific experiments, the spacecraft successfully landed at the middle section of Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region at 3:14 a.m. November 21, 1999. This is China’s first experimental flight of its unmanned spacecraft, which hallmarked China’s new major technical breakthroughs in the area.
The said spacecraft and its upgraded carrier rocket are independently developed and manufactured by China. Chinese Research Institute of Space Technology and Shandhai Research Institute of Astronomical Technology both subordinated to China Aerospace Science and Technology Group and China are the major R&D forces behind this spectacular view of China’s space history. The flight is an unmanned one. At the ground preparation phase, the socalled “three verticals” (namely vertical assembling, testing and shipment of spacecraft and rocket) mode were applied so as to be in line with internationally advanced practice in spacecraft launching. The final testing and launching of the spacecraft and rocket were made through remote control system. It is reported that these technological innovations constituted a new breakthrough in China’s space testing and launching technology. Experts of Chinese space community said that the launch is of importance to realizing new breakthroughs in manned space technology and has become a new milestone in China’s space history.
On the existing space tracking network, China established a new land and sea based integrated space tracking network pursuant to international standards and the new system was first put into official operation in the said launching activity. Beijing Space Commanding Control Center organized the tracking, measuring and control of the spacecraft.
As shown by the data sent from the tracking network, the spacecraft was separated from its carrier rocket in about 10 minutes after launching and was then going further into its designated orbit. During its flight, the experimental spacecraft was tracked and controlled by the ground tracking system and “Yuanwang” tracking boat and successfully completed a number of scheduled experiments.
Authorities who organized the launch said the spacecraft launched is of high safety and reliability features. The result of the flight has shown that the experiment has achieved a complete success, marking a major step in China’s space industry and illustrating China’s overall breakthrough and mastering of manned spacecraft launching technology.
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INTERNATIOLAL COOPERATION |
China-German S&T Cooperation, A Model for
Cooperation between Asia and Europe
The 15th session of China-Germany Joint Committee on S&T Cooperation dropped its curtain on November 16, 1999 in Bonn. Li Xueyong, Chinese Vice Minister of Science and Technology and wollf-Michael Catenhusen, German State Secretary for Education and Research exchanged views on S&T cooperation between two countries. Both parties agreed that China-Germany cooperation in the field of science and technology is a successful model for the S&T cooperation between countries in Asia and Europe.
This session of the joint committee is of a two-year interval since the last one, during which our two countries signed an agreement on the cooperation in the field of ecological studies and development of environment technology in September 1998. Both parties organized massive celebration activities in honor of the 20th anniversary S&T cooperation between two countries both in Beijing and Bonn in October 1998. Madame Zhu Lilan, Chinese Minister of Science and Technology was honored with cross medal of Federal Republic of Germany. In September 1999, Ms. Edgar Buhlman, German Minister of Education and Research attended Asia-Europe Ministerial Meeting of Science and Technology held in Beijing and investigated S&T and education development in China. In addition to the meetings held between ministers of both countries, exchanges and visits between S&T communities of two countries were also thriving in the last couple of years. Co-sponsored by German Federal Association on Research and China Natural Science Foundation , the construction of China--Germany Joint S&T Promotion Center has begun in Beijing. Fraunhofer Association, a Germany based large research institute for promotion of applied sciences, has opened its office in Beijing. In addition, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Marx-Prank Association have completed a series of cooperative projects.
The Joint Committee have expressed their satisfactions over the above mentioned accomplishments, especially two cooperative projects with the direct sponsorship of German Ministry of Education and Research. One of them is the joint study of cardiovascular diseases with the assistance of modern genetics and molecular biological instrument between Marx·Delbruck Molecular Medical Center and Beijing Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. German Ministry of Education and Research financed the construction of satellite center for the Lab. During her visit to Beijing, Ms.Buhlman personally issued the relevant certificate to Beijing Fuwai Hospital. The other is China--Germany cooperative project on protection of historical relics defined by Ms. Buhlman during her visit to Xi’an. Both parties decided to launch an overall cooperation in unearthing, restoration and storage of major Chinese historical relics. In 2000 China will send the result of the said cooperation, 100 pieces of unearthed ancient relics including terracotta soldiers for the display in Germany.
At the session, both parties redefined priorities for their cooperation in the 21st century, including marine research, advanced materials, manufacturing technology, biotechnology, ecological and environmental technology, protection of historical relics, aviation and space studies. In addition, both parties stressed that future cooperative projects shall take application perspectives into consideration and welcomed the participation of economic sectors. Both parties agreed that the next session will be held Spring 2001 in China.
China-US Exchanges on Latest Progress
in Medical Sciences
A National Seminar on Remote Medical Education co-sponsored by Li Jiacheng Foundation and Chinese Association of Medical Sciences was recently held at No. 1 Hospital subordinated to Medical School, Shantou University. At the meeting, medical experts from both China and US exchanged their academic views and made their advanced demonstrations on cardiovascular disease, pediatrics and neurosurgery through satellite transmission. The seminar was honored with great support of Chinese Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health.
At the seminar, Prof. Yang Qingyuan and others from Stanford University made their respective presentations on the latest progress achieved in the field arteria coronaria re-passing, infection of postpartum herpes virus and lower temperature and brain protection in neurosurgery. Participants from Chinese medical communities joined their discussions at 6 televised meeting places stationed in six cities including Beijing, Wuhan, Harbin and Chengdu. Medical experts in Shantou, Beijing and Xinjiang also made their dialogues through modern transmission means with their US counterparts.
It is reported that this is the first time to organize such a large scale remote seminar on medical education. Chinese Ministry of Health has listed distant learning a priority to be extended in the 21st century.
The said activity was jointly organized by Medical School of Shangtou University, and US Stanford University with the financial support from Medical Visiting Scholar Program of Li Jiacheng Foundation. Mr. Li Jiacheng was personally present at the seminar in Shantou.
PC Understanding and Speaking Chinese
On November 11, 1999, Tianyin Company of China S&T University. officially honored Liu Qingfeng, a doctorate student, and 5 others with a technology equity worth Rmb 6.6885 million, rewarding their major contributions to developing China’s first computer that is able to understand and speak Chinese.
Dr. Liu and other five students who involved in the study of computer based verbal interactive technology have achieved their breakthroughs in technologies synthesizing the Chinese Language. The said development can be matched with what IBM has achieved in the same field and has led to the birth of China’s first computer able to understand and speak Chinese. This has made China an important position in developing computer based verbal interactive technology. To commercialize the result as soon as possible, a joint venture consisting of technology equity holders such as S&T Industrial General Corp of China S&T University and other two and cash investors (Rmb 30.6 million) from three Anhui based state enterprises was founded with a new name of Tianyin Company of China S&T University. The said technology result was appraised to be of a value worth Rmb 50 million, of which Rmb 29.40 million will become 49% of the equity of the new company. Pursuant to relevant state regulations and the agreement among founding companies, equity award was honored to 6 students and other major developers of the technology.
New Technique of Controlling Cell Growth Awarded
Newly invented technology of controlling the growth of natural cells developed by Xie Xuming, Director of Hangzhou Orthopedics and Traumatology Center was granted with “Excellent Product Invention Award” at the 38th International Invention Fair held recently in Stockholm. This is the first honor China obtained in the field of medical science during its 12 participations at the Fair.
Fair organizers have asked China to present the invention to Noble Prize Commission for a candidate for the Prize.
New technology and associated products invented by Xie Xuming is a kind of injecta made of processed metabolin of microbe, a result of Mr. Xie’s 25 year studies. The said product is able to promote the growth of blood capillary, accelerate the absorption of hematoncus, organization and formation of poroma. It is of apparent effects on treating multiple protrasion of cervical vertebra and lumbar intervertebral disci, traumatic arthritis and cataclasis. It is an important result China has harvested in the field of biotechnology.
It is reported that the product was granted with new drug certificate and patent certificate by Chinese Ministry of Health and State Patent Bureau respectively in 1994. In 1995, it passed the approval of GMP and in 1997 the approvel of Ministry of Health for its formal production.
China’s Coal Gas Reserves Leading in the World
China applauds for good news of its newly added coal gas reserves. By the end of October, 1999, China has confirmed its coal gas reserves to be 30000-35000 billion m3 on a preliminarily estimated basis, which ranked the fleading place in the world.
Thanks to its one decade efforts, in addition to coal gas reserves estimation, Zhonglian Coal Gas Ltd., a state owned company dedicated for exploration, development, production and sales, has developed a series of systematic engineering techniques tailored to coal gas mining and formulated corresponding technical procedures, standards and quality specifications, which laid solid foundation to the industrialization of coal gas.
According to the objectives defined for the nation’s coal gas industry development, 4 to 5 coal gas mining bases will be built in the next 5 years with coal gas output reaching 3 – 4 billion m3 by 2005 and 20 billion m3 by 2020.
Newly Selected Academicians of CAS in 1999
At its news briefing held on November 17, 1999, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) unveiled its 55 academicians newly elected in 1999 and reported that this year’s focus of election was in cross-disciplines and newly emerging areas. Up to date, there are 633 academicians of CAS.
Pursuant to the Charter of Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, additional election of new academicians will be held once a couple of years and the number elected in 1999 shall not go over 60. Thanks to concerted efforts of old academicians, the election came to an end on November 16, 1999. Among the newly elected, 10 came from the department of mathematics and physics, 8 chemistry, 11 biology, 10 geoscience and 16 technological sciences. The average age of the newly elected is 61.6, of whom 17 are under 60 with the youngest one being at 42. Among the newly elected, there are two female scientists and 5 from Hongkong Special Administrative Zone.
Anniversary of Microsoft Research Institute (China)
On November 5, 1999, Microsoft Research Institute (China) celebrated its first anniversary in China. As shown by the statistics, research fellows with Microsoft Research Institute(China) have published 28 papers on top international journals in their respective fields and made their key note presentations at 11 different international well known seminars with applications for 49 inventions. At the same time a group of world class scholars have joined the Institute. Li Kaifu, Director of Microsoft Research Institute (China), expressed that they are making great efforts to make Microsoft Research Institute (China) a number one world class research institute of computer sciences in Asia, serving for a population of 1.3 billion in China.
Microsoft Research Institute (China) has in a very short period of time gathered a group of influential scholars renowned both at home and abroad such as Dr. Zhang Yaqin, a world class expert in the field of multi-media technology, Dr, Shen Xiangyang, a master in computer based image processing, Dr. Li Jin, international video telecommunication and image processing, Dr. Zhang Hongjiang, content based video data retrieval and Prof. Huang Changning, Chinese information processing, and soon. Now the Institute’s population has increased from 2 at the founding stage to current 60. Among its senior research staff, 11 are from overseas. They have made remarkable achievements in their respective fields and become the backbones of the Institute.
On the basis of their brave predictions for future social development trend, the Institute has defined its future research orientations in three areas: new generation user interface, new generation multi media and new generation information processing technologies. So far they have achieved some progress in the areas of new generation interactive interface, new generation multi-media and natural language. Dr. Shen Xiangyang’s paper “Preparation of Concentricity based Graphs ” caused a stir at International Siggraph Conference held August 1999 in Los Angles and became one of most influential papers presented at the meeting.
Referring to future development of the Institute, Li Kaifu expressed that”Our goals are to build the Institute into a number one world class research body in Asia. We will focus our studies on innovation topics such as multi-media input, information storage, language identification, natural language processing and new generation multi-media so as to make computers able to see, listen, learn and communicate in natural language and eventually make computers popular, easy and convenient touch in China just as any other conntry in the world.
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