China's Top Ten S&T News for 2000
The top ten S&T news selected by the Chinese Science and Technology Daily Press for year 2000 have come into the limelight as followed:
1. The Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party have made clear that to materialize the objectives defined by the 10th Five-Year Plan(2000-2005), China will take the reform and opening and S&T advance as the dynamic forces to support its major themes of development and restructuring on the basis of improving its people's life as the starting point.
2. President Jiang Zemin watched the demonstration show of S&T based military exercises of the People's Liberation Army. He asked the army to lead S&T based military exercises into the depth and strive for the improvement of military exercises quality.
3. Major breakthroughs have been achieved in China's development and applications of high performance computers, which has made China the third country in the world possess the capacity of developing and manufacturing high performance computers.
4. Chinese scientists became part of the international human genome project and completed the one-hundredth sequencing of human genome working charts with high quality, which has demonstrated Chinese scientists' strength working on the international scientific cutting edges.
5. China has taken a leading role in super rice studies. International super rice breeding experts believe that China is of the most perspective to become the country who first materialize its super rice plan.
6. China's major results achieved in the development of functional nanometer materials have attracted great attention of the world community in the area.
7. Chronicles for Xia-Shang-Zhou Dynasties was officially published, which has advanced China's chronicle history for one thousand and more years.
8. China has landed major breakthroughs on superconductivity studies by successfully working out a high temperature superconductivity strip as long as one hundred meters.
9. Tsinghua Space No.1, a mini-satellite was successfully launched by Chinese scientists, which has heralded China's capacity for the development of mini satellites and launching overseas space vehicles.
10. China's first man-like robot made its debut, hallmarked its internationally advanced robot manufacturing technologies.
China's 8th Place for International S&T Papers
Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology announced on December 13, 2000 that the number of China's S&T papers published internationally in 1999 reached 46,188, 32% more than those of last year which upgraded China to the 8th place in the world after US, Japan, UK, Germany, France, Canada and Italy but ahead of Russia.
Sponsored by Ministry of Science and Technology and undertaken by Institute of S&T Information of China, the calculation of China's S&T papers published at home and abroad is conducted once every year. The said international data were derived from SCI, EI and ISTP, three renowned international retrieval channels and the data on domestic papers were directly from 1,372 major domestic S&T journals.
As shown by the statistics, China's basic science papers published internationally has increased by 4,638 in number in comparison with those of last year, advancing from the previous 12th place to the 10th; the number of engineering and technology papers published internationally also went up by 4,915, upgraded to 3rd place from the former 5th and Chinese S&T papers presented at international conferences landed an increase of 1,632, from 10th place to the 8th. The number of S&T papers published domestically also ascended with 29,434 more than that of last year, securing a growth of 13%.
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INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION |
Huge Funds for International S&T Cooperation
As disclosed by Wang Shaoqi, Director of Dept. of International Cooperation, Ministry of Science and Technology(MOST) on December 13, 2000, MOST is planning to increase its fund of Rmb 100 million for international cooperation activities in the field of S&T exchanges and projects so as to provide a forceful impetus to S&T exchanges and cooperations between Chinese scientists and their overseas counterparts and promote the advance of China's S&T undertakings.
Wang said that in the approaching 21st century, China will in the mode of governmental cooperation take an active part in the global and regional bilateral or multilateral cooperative research programs. Along with the booming of both China's national strength and its S&T capacity, China will do its utmost to end up the pattern of major international scientific programs without Chinese scientists' participation so as to meet the challenges of economic and S&T globalization. In earlier 2000, MOST announced that it would open its high tech research and development programs and basic study projects to overseas scientists. In 1999, Chinese Academy of Sciences dispatched or received the scientists participating in international S&T exchanges and cooperation for altogether 10,000 persons.
In 2000, it has invited overseas scientists to join its scientific research projects and the management of its institutes.
Wang added that the international S&T cooperation has become an important component of China's diplomatic activities. The convening of S&T ministerial meeting of APEC has stimulated the S&T exchanges and cooperation among its members. So far China has signed with 96 countries inter-governmental agreements on the cooperation in the field of science and technology.
Seven Languages Dubbing
Dr. Xu Bo, Deputy Director of National Key Lab on Module Identification, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences revealed that the so-called telephone based 7-language simultaneous translation project jointly undertaken by the scientists from China, US, Japan, Germany, Italy, Korea and France would be formally kicked off in 2001 and completed in the year 2004. It aims at making public telephone network or Internet-based conversations such as conversations made over mobile phone, fixed telephone
and computer terminals be translated into major international languages people may use. It will take them four years to work out an application system and platform through which people may freely book their hotels, air tickets, tables in the restaurant or exchange currencies. Dr. Xu said the project would realize the inter-translation of 10,000 words in seven languages, quite enough for tourist conversations.
China-Russia Joint Nanometer Studies
On December 6, 2000, the Memorandum of Understanding on Scientific Cooperation in the Field of Material Sciences between Chinese Academy of Sciences and Russian Academy of Sciences was signed. Both academies will jointly work on material science topics of mutual interest through exchange visits of experts and experience sharing. The two academies will also make concerted efforts to improve the scientific level of China-Russia bilateral scientific lectures on compound materials.
It is stressed in the MOU that both sides will pay great attention to nanometer studies and the applications of the associated findings. To strengthen the cooperation between the two sides in the said field, the nanometer research centers of both academies will jointly define research orientations, exchange scientific information, identify joint research projects and promote the industrialization of nanometer research results.
China-Japan Bred out Pest Rivals
China Ningxia Forests Protection Research Center has, in collaboration with the Institute of Forestry Research under Japanese Department of Agriculture and Forestry, successfully found the approach to breeding the rivals of poplar pests and started their killing experiments in Ningxia.
An insect called [WTBX]Dastarcus Longulus [WTBZ]discovered by the joint study group can be the natural rival of longicorn beetles. The baby insects habitually inhabit on the babies of longicron beetles and absorb their body fluid as the food, which would make the young beetles die in a short period of time. Through developing a kind of inexpensive mixed feed in the course, the scientists of both nations have found an approach to massive reproduction of the said insects. It is reported that Dastarcus Longulus will soon become adult insect. Without strong flying capacity, they will confine themselves to limited areas for reproduction, concentrating on killing longicorn beetles.
Major Breakthrough in Genetic Hepatitis Treatment
Jointly developed by the scientists from China, US and Germany with the participation of six Chinese and overseas research institutions, the bodycell gene based biological injection treating hepatitis B, C and other liver diseases has worked out the final solutions to the whole procedures from cutting and separation to phagocytosis of hepatitis virus in liver cells, repairing and promoting the regrowth of liver cells. On the basis of its four-year clinical testing, the injection is now available to the hepatitis patients in the country.
As shown by the clinical testing carried out at many Chinese hospitals, the new injection, in comparison with other similar drugs, presents a better treating effect on turning the positive to negative. Under normal circumstances, a hepatitis patient may turn its positive indicator to the negative one after taking a continuous injection treatment for one month and most of the patients treated with the injection for a whole process (three months) may get fully recovered. Most patients who have suffered from cirrhosis at their earlier or middle phase may also get recovered within the prescribed treating procedure. So far the new treatment has been applied at the Liver Division of Nanxu Hospital, Zhenjiang Township, Jiangsu Province.
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INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION |
China's First Unmanned Road Roller
Thanks to their joint painstaking efforts, the researchers of S&T University of National Defense and Jianglu Machinery Factory made the debut of their unmanned high performance road roller on December 7, 2000, the first of its kind in the country. The development has marked China's internationally advanced position in the area.
Of a weight of 12.6 tons, the said unmanned high performance road roller looks no different from its conventional brothers. However, it may, as commanded, automatically complete the operation of ignition, starting, gear shifting, turning, backing and stopping. It may also tailor the vibration intensity to the hardness of road surface so as to improve the efficiency and quality.
It is briefed that needing no help of manual operation, the unmanned roller can work with the maximum vibration intensity without worrying about workers' labor intensity. It is most suitable for large construction projects especially the ones having great environment risks such as hydraulic dams, express highways, railroads, airports, harbors and etc
China's Solutions to Lubrication Chemistry
Prof. Chen Guoxu and his colleagues of Chinese Military Academy of Logistics Engineering have found the solutions to the topic of controllable erosion and its associated technologies on the basis of their 16-year efforts. Being a cutting edge topic troubling the international chemistry communities for decades, the so-called controllable erosion is of great importance to the generalization process of lubrication grease manufacturing for machinery industries and engines. With the advanced lubrication chemistry theory as the breaking point, they have for the first time in the world discovered and constructed the theory on non-active elements based repairing, recycling and self-lubricating for the friction surface of military engines; they have proposed and verified the no-grease lubrication mechanism for 50-100 km range and improved the scientific theoretical system of lubrication chemistry.
Under the guidance of the new lubrication theory, they have successfully developed a new lithium-calcium compound lubricant and a series of engine grease products of general applications for land and navy forces. The major indicators of these general products have been proven better than those made in Russia and US. The applications of the new products in large construction projects such as Three-Gorge Dam Project and Yellow River Xiaolangdi Project have demonstrated their remarkable economic benefits and friendly enviromental property.
China's Breakthroughs in Key Digital
Broadcasting Technologies
Fangzheng Electronics of Peking University has landed major breakthroughs in the key digital broadcasting technologies on the basis of its independent development. Recently Fangzheng Electronics and ACE have jointly won the bidding for the full hard disc automatic broadcasting system to be used by Channel 5 of Shenyang TV Station. Fangzheng Electronics will deliver video server system, automatic broadcasting system software and computer based network system. The whole system is scheduled to put into operation in April 2001. The system, upon its operation, will become the largest hard disc automatic TV broadcasting system in the country. It is briefed that the so-called full hard disc broadcasting is the core of digital and networking process of radio and TV broadcasting. The said breakthroughs will accelerate the integration, digitalization and network process of China's domestic TV stations.
Up to date, Fangzheng Electronics has made its news system, digital broadcasting system and non-linear editing system serve for the operation of several domestic TV stations including CCTV and has occupied a fairly large market share in the field of news and digital broadcasting control systems which used to be dominated by overseas products.
China's Internationally Advanced Color Cotton
Thanks to their tireless efforts on the so-called reproduction in south and growing in north, seeds screening and hybrid cultivation, Xinjiang Tiancai Science and Technology Co. Ltd., has in collaboration with other research institutions such as China Institute of Cotton and Institute of Genetics of Chinese Academy of Sciences worked out three proven cotton species in brown, green and camel colors and more than 90 fine candidate species for further breeding. Of them, brown and green species have found successful extensive growth in Xinjiang with an average yield of 85 kilos per
mu (140 kilos for the top yield) and internationally advanced yield quantity and fiber quality.
Tiancai has invested Rmb 10 million and more in its research and development activities such as the development of bivalent genetically modified color cotton resistant to wooly aphid and cotton boll, matching male sterility modified color cotton with optimized hybrids, developing medium long-staple color cotton( 32-34 mm) and long staple color cotton 35-37mm and the studies of the stable genetics of color cotton species in red, blue and duck egg green. Of the new species, the staple of New Brown 9801 and 9802 have reached 29 mm with its strength and other technical indicators reaching or even exceeding that of conventional white cotton.
In addition, collaborating with Xinjiang Textile Group, Tiancai has developed 32-count brown and green combed yarns, 40-count brown combed yarn and dozens of underclothes and bed sheet products. Of them, 40-count brown combed yarn has been rated by Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology as a leading new product.
China's Scientific Expeditions in Antarctic
On December 7, 2000 China's 17th Antarctic Scientific Expedition was launched to investigate the modern earth crust movement in Antarctic and its inland ice cover movement and associated dynamics. This year will see the Great Wall Station work on joint observations in collaboration with several dozens of other stations in the region during the period from January 20 to February 10, 2001 for collecting basic Antarctic data. The Station will also work on the project sponsored by China National Natural Science Foundation together with scientists from German JENA university studying the impacts of human activities on the ecological environment of King Gorge Island in the pole. The last effort will be the ecological studies of thief gulls. In the meanwhile, scientists will carry out their regular weather observations at the Great Wall Station.
China's Second “Plough”Navigation Satellite
At 00:20, December 21st, 2000, Chinese made “Plough” experimental navigation satellite, the second of its kind in the country was launched by Long March IIIA at the Xi'chang Satellite Launching Center and accurately landed in its prescribed orbit. It, together with its predecessor launched on October 31, 2000, constitute the socalled Plough Navigation System. The development has shown that China has possessed the capacity for developing its own satellite based navigation and positioning system.
It is briefed that the said Chinese made Plough navigation system is able to meet the navigation needs of satellites both at home and abroad. The system is able to provide all-weather and around-clock regional navigation information service for highway and railway traffics and offshore operations and is believed to be of an active role in promoting the economic development in the country.
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