China Will Be World Information Power in 15 Years
The Chinese Ministry of Information Industry plans to build China into a world power in the information industry in 10 to 15 years. It is reported that China’s 11th five-year plan will be divided into a near-term plan and a medium-term plan. The near-term plan will encompass years 2006 to 2008 with the medium-term plan continuing on to 2010 and long-term targets extending to 2020.
China plans to establish a number of large-scale national electronic information industrial bases in the field of electronic information products manufacturing. These will include relatively concentrated distribution, strong radiation roles, and competitive export capacity. At the same time, national electronic information industrial parks will be created to meet special needs of communication, digital audio and video products, computer network products, microelectronics, components, and software. These developments will enhance China’s visibility in global electronic information industries.
In the field of communication operations, China will strive to develop a sound pattern for better service and a healthy market competition. A number of multinational communication businesses of international competitiveness will be created. In addition, an advanced management system tailored to the new developments will be established.
In the field of information communication, China will find extensive applications of electronic information technology in the fields of industrial information processing, e-government, and e-commerce. China will also take full advantage of information technology to transform its traditional industries and establish a fully functioning national information system.
In preparing a solid plan for the 11th five-year period, the Ministry of Information Industry has defined major topics for further study. These topics include the development trends of information technology in the next 5 to 10 years, analysis of the development of 3rd generation mobile telecommunication, the development of the digital TV industry, the development of the software and integrated circuits industries, and communication laws, regulations, and management systems for the new period.
Improving S&T Intermediaries
The 2004 APEC Forum on the Development of S&T Intermediary Institutions began on February 9, 2003. The Forum attracted the participation of more than 100 experts, scholars, and governmental officials from 14 members of APEC. Participants discussed issues concerning the vigorous development of S&T intermediary agencies and the promotion of S&T innovations and common developments in the Asia and Pacific regions.
Mr. LI Xueyong, Chinese Vice Minster of Science and Technology said that since the adoption of reform and the opening policies, the S&T intermediary agencies have enjoyed rapid development in the country. These intermediary agencies usually work as productivity promotion centers, S&T industrial incubators, S&T consultation and evaluation firms, technology exchanges, and venture capital firms. They have played increasingly important roles in the conversion of S&T findings. At present there are more than 60,000 S&T intermediary agencies in the country with a cumulative staff population of around 1.1 million. China will continue to promote the vigorous development of S&T intermediary agencies. In addition to further clarifying the strategic objectives and policies for development, China will strive to, within the next five years, establish an organizing system, operational mechanism, and policy and legal framework favorable for the healthy development of S&T intermediary agencies. These efforts will create an agreeable environment for establishing S&T intermediary agencies featuring professionalism, scale development, and a standardized operation.
Mr. LI also stressed that the development priorities of S&T intermediary agencies in the foreseeable future will focus on nurturing new growth points of high tech industries, supporting technical innovations of small and medium businesses, promoting the marriage between S&T developments and banking, providing better service for economic and social development in the rural areas, increasing farmers’ income, and changing governmental functions.
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INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION |
CAS President Wins Italian Award
Mr. LU Yongxiang, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee, the Chinese National People’s Congress and President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, recently received the “Italian President’s Gold Medal for Science and Culture” and the “Certificate for Achievements in Schools, Culture, and the Arts.” Letizia Moratti, Italian Minister of Education, Universities, and Research, on behalf of Italian President, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, presented the award. The award praises President LU for his contributions to S&T exchanges between China and Italy.
At the award ceremony, Mrs. Moratti said that President LU Yongxiang has not only made outstanding achievements in the fields of fluid dynamics and engineering, but has also made huge efforts to promote S&T cooperation between the two countries. She added that of the numerous joint S&T projects between the two countries, President LU is an ardent matchmaker bringing about the establishment of the China-Italy joint cosmic ray lab in Yabajin, Tibet. President LU has also promoted the joint study of a submarine suspension bridge. These cooperative activities have deepened the friendship between the two peoples and strengthened close science and cultural ties between the two nations.
In his thank-you remarks, President LU spoke highly of the S&T cooperative activities between the two nations in recent years. He stated that the S&T cooperation between the two nations has made great contributions to the world’s S&T development. Before the award ceremony, President LU and Mrs. Moratti held talks on further strengthening bilateral S&T cooperation and exchanges. Both sides agreed to establish a joint expert panel to work methods for future cooperation in these areas. Both sides also exchanged views on a number of common concerns, such as the exchange of S&T findings, establishment of shared labs, and the training of young scientists. Mr. CHEN Wendong, the Chinese Ambassador to Rome was also present at both the ceremony and the talks.
Antibody Blocking SARS Infection
Dr. SUI Jianhua, a visiting Chinese scholar in the US, and his colleagues have recently found a human monoclonal antibody able to effectively block the SARS viruses from entering human cells. Published in the recent online issue of the “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,” USA, the new finding could become a breakthrough in SARS prevention and treatment if an antibody drug is derived from the study results.
With thorn proteins of the SARS virus as the target, Dr. SUI and others screened out a monoclonal antibody named “80R” from a large human antibody database. The study of anti-virus mechanisms has shown that the 80R antibody would compete for space with thorn proteins of the SARS viruses over the surface of human cells. Such a competitive mechanism can neutralize the SARS virus infection. The finding also proved that the joints of the receptor provide a major defense line against viruses.
Preliminary animal experiments have produced encouraging findings showing that the 80R antibody can fully block the invasion of SARS viruses entering human cells, even in low concentration. Researchers are now planning to cooperate with Chinese research institutions to further the findings through clinical applications.
Dr. SUI and others have genetically reconstructed the human antibody database with blood specimens collected from 57 healthy people who have never been exposed to the SARS viruses. Dr. SUI stated that he and his colleagues had to resort to the antibody database of healthy people for the sake of saving time, hoping to find the right antibody in a healthy person’s specimen. This was faster than searching through the specimens of SARS patients.
Chinese Science Journalists Awarded
The American Association for the Advancement of Science announced on Feb. 14, 2003 that the first Awards for Young Science Journalists in Developing Nations were conferred to 10 Chinese journalists who are all under 30 years of age. The announcement stated that the awarded Chinese journalists have made contributions in reporting scientific events on the SARS epidemics, nanometer technology and stem cells.
Of the 10 Chinese winners, 2 are from the Xinhua News Agency and the rest are respectively from China Youth Daily, S&T Daily, Liberation Daily, China Daily, Southern Weekends, Sanlian Lifeweek, SINA and Beijing TV Dept. of Reuters. The winners have been invited to attend the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science held Feb. 12-16, 2003 in Seattle. During the meeting, more than 6,000 scientists listened to 140 and odd lectures on information science, nanometer technology, public health, genetics, environmental science and science education.
New AIDS Pathogenesis Discovered
A study team headed by Professor YU Xiaofang at Zhejiang University has recently discovered a new pathogenesis of the AIDS disease. Researchers in the study spotted a group of proteins that help HIV viruses enter human cells without being found by the human natural immune system. The new finding not only explains the molecular mechanism of HIV viruses that allows viruses to skip over the host cell’s defense system, but also provides evidence for developing new strategies for AIDS disease prevention and treatment. Researchers believe that the discovery of the proteins will prove critical to understanding the AIDS viruses’ tricks used to overpower the host cell’s defense system. Published in a recent issue of Science magazine, the new finding has attracted the immediate attention of the world’s medical community. Experts believe that the finding is a new discovery for AIDS treatment with a brand new concept and approach for preventing and treating the disease.
Professor YU explained that the AIDS virus contains an element able to cause infections. The element enhances the infection of AIDS viruses through the discovered proteins. Experiments have shown that the infection rate of AIDS diseases could be reduced by 90% if the concerted efforts of both infectious elements and ubiquitin ligase can be blocked.
Database for Pathogenic Organisms
With the support of China’s National 863 Program, researchers of the Beijing Jindi Institute of Biotechnology have completed the construction of a genome probe database containing known viruses and other pathogenic microorganisms that could cause human diseases. It has taken 5 years and more than 3000 specific probes for researchers to build the database that has collected more than 300 disease-causing viruses. The database is able to identify more than 300 pathogens in a single test run. Researchers have also developed high-density chips able to identify hundreds of pathogenic microorganisms. These chips can be used to test the viruses hidden in the respiratory system or in the intestines. They are also able to detect pathogenic microorganisms in the air, viruses appearing in the manufacturing process of biological products, and viruses causing fevers for unknown reasons. The Institute is now able to produce 100 to 200 chips a day. In addition, researchers have created a new approach to collecting clinical specimens of respiratory diseases. This increases the efficiency by 5-10 times, as compared with conventional approaches.
Four Cloned Generations Under Same Roof
The Yangyang family, the first group of goats in the world to be cloned from adult goat stem cells, now enjoys four generations under the same roof. Tiantian, the granddaughter of Yangyang, gave the birth to her daughter in the early morning of Feb. 6, 2004. Named Xiaoxiao, the newborn is a ‘baby girl” weighing 2.2 kg 23cm tall and 40cm long. Covered in white wool and with long ears, the ‘baby girl’ resembles her father. Xiaoxiao was able to stand and walk immediately after her birth. Experts believe that the survival and succession of the cloned goat family proves that cloned goats have normal and sustainable reproduction capacity, just like traditional goats.
World Chinese Biologists to Convene
With the approval of the Chinese State Council, a conference gathering all Chinese biologists in the world together will convene July 18-23, 2004 in Beijing.
According to the Organizing Committee’s briefing, the meeting, using the theme of “Science—for a Better Life,” will cover a variety of topics on life sciences. The meeting will also serve the purpose of attracting overseas Chinese biologists, businessmen, and overseas Chinese graduates wishing to return their expertise to the homeland. To promote the development of life sciences, the meeting will invite the participation of 4 to 5 Noble Prize winners, a dozen academicians of Chinese and US Academies of Sciences, and 350 overseas Chinese biologists, scholars, and experts in the fields of medical sciences and technology. More than 50 scientific lectures will be presented at the plenary meetings or in small forums. In addition, the conference expects to receive the abstracts of 500 papers from different countries and regions. The organizer is also planning to arrange for 5 young scientists to chair round-table discussions. 2,000 participants are expected to attend this event.
Small Hydraulic Power Booming in China
The survey results published by the Beijing Earth Environment Culture Center show that China currently has a theoretical hydraulic resource of 180 million KW and a technically exploitable resource of 75 million KW for small scale power generation. There are more than 20,000 domestic enterprises in the country engaged in small scale power generation with more than 1 million employees. Small hydraulic power stations have supplied electricity to one third of the nation’s areas, where one fourth of the nation’s population are dwelling. More than 800 counties in the country have their electricity supply mainly from small hydraulic power stations. As a result, the development of small hydraulic power stations becomes an important approach to promote the electrification process in the rural areas. The central government has also adopted a series of inventive policies including low interest loans and tax reduction to promote the development of small hydraulic power stations.
It is expected that by 2010 China’s total installed capacity of small hydraulic power stations will reach 35 million KW. The capacity will further rise to 50 million or 55 million by 2020. In addition, the socalled mini hydraulic power stations with an installed capacity from 100 to 10,000 KW have become a new invention in promoting renewable energy applications in the rural areas. There are more than 600,000 households in the rural areas who have installed mini hydraulic power stations.
RMB 100 Million for Bird Flu Study
According to a briefing made by the National Command Center for Bird Flu Control and Prevention, China has allocated RMB 100 million to intensify the study of bird flu diseases. The fund will support the development and application of vaccines, quick testing and diagnosing techniques and associated products, virus mutation studies, pathogenic analysis, investigation of new propagation channels, prevention and control techniques, protection, disinfectants and associated products, and the development of bird flu drugs.
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