CHINA  SCIENCE  AND  TECHNOLOGY
NEWSLETTER
The Ministry of Science and Technology
People's Republic of China

N0.401	April 30,2005
	IN THIS ISSUE
* China-EU for Large Science Projects * GM Rice Benefit More * China-German Declaration Protecting Wetlands * China-Sweden Workshop on Advanced Material * Weather Payloads Completed * Black Rot Gene Spotted
		INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

China-EU for Large Science Projects

China will strengthen its cooperation with EU, especially in the field of large science projects such as the Galileo satellite navigation positioning system, said SHANG Yong, Chinese Vice-Minister of Science and Technology, at a high level China- EU forum on S&T strategies recently held in Beijing. SHANG added that China strives to plan for more cooperation projects in the fields of energy (hydrogen and nuclear fusion), space, biotechnology, information technology, nanotechnology and aeronautics, and on major global issues, including health, environment and resources.

Thanks to the concerted efforts of both parties, China- EU S&T cooperation has enjoyed an increasingly enhanced scale since its start from 1981, with continuously enriched cooperation activities and remarkable achievements. The two parties have implemented more than 400 cooperation projects, with a personnel exchange amounting to  4,000 person/time, and an investment equivalent to 300 million Euros in total. 

In recent years, especially since 1998, Chinese scientists have become an active part of EU S&T framework projects, as encouraged by the China-EU S&T cooperation agreement. Cooperation projects reached 130 in number, covering mobile telecommunication, materials, and food quality and safety. SARS events also produced a number of cooperation projects in the mutual interests of both sides. China has collaborated with EU for 4% of its S&T framework projects. The signing and full-fledged implementation of the Galileo Program has substantially lifted the S&T cooperation between China and Europe. S&T cooperation is becoming an important component of China- EU relation in general.

SHANG added that, in addition to R&D projects, China encourages new cooperation modalities, e.g. establishing joint labs or research centers. China also encourages cooperation between industry and research institutes, especially the industrial involvement in high tech development and associated commercial applications. 

GM Rice Benefit More

A joint study, made by Chinese and US scientists, has proved overwhelming merits brought by GM rice, whether in terms of drastically reduced pesticide application, or of noticeably increased yield, or of economic and health benefits.

Jointly conducted by Jikun Huang, Director, the Center for Chinese Agricultural Policy, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ruifa Hu, a professor working for the same Center,  Prof. Scott Rozelle, University of California, and Prof. Carl Pray, Rutgers University, the study targets at two insects resistant hybrids: GM Xianyou 63, containing the bacillus thuringiensis resistant genes, and GM Youming 86, containing the CpTI genes. The two hybrids entered pre-production trials in 2001, over a limited area in Fujian Province.  Scientists made random survey on farmers who grew two GM hybrids wholly or partially, in 2002 and 2003 respectively. At the same time, they compared notes with the situation of farmers who grew non-GM rice. Survey results have shown that, under similar farming conditions, GM rice producers applied pesticides less than once every quarter of a year, compared to 3.7 times by non-GM rice producers.  In the same context, the pesticides applied in the GM rice fields are only 1/8 or 1/10 that in the non-GM rice fields.

In addition, the yield produced by GM Xianyou 63 marks 9 percent higher than non-GM lines. GM Youming 86 does not show noticeable yield differences from its non-GM counterparts, possibly as the result of too limited a trial scale.

China-German Declaration Protecting Wetlands

Some 50 Chinese and German scientists jointly issued a Changsha Declaration, at an international workshop on functionality mapping for the Yangtze wetlands. The  Declaration appeals to protect ecological functionality of the Yangtze wetlands, in an attempt to restore the wetlands’ vitality.

The Declaration states that as the first largest river in China, and the third largest river in the world, the Yangtze River has nurtured vast wetland strips. These wetlands have played important ecological roles in maintaining ecological balance, nourishing original sources, modulating floods, purifying water, regulating climate, supporting biodiversity, and beautifying environment. Unfortunately, the fast economic development, and increasingly denser population, and economic activities have seriously jeopardized ecological functionalities, imposing huge pressures and threats on the natural ecosystem of the wetlands.

The Declaration appeals to enhance public awareness and understanding, increasing their consciousness to protect wetlands. It also asks to map ecological functions for different wetlands, defining directions for protecting, utilizing, and managing diverse wetlands. Among other appeals are handling the relationship between economic functions and ecological functions on a scientific basis, realigning industrial structures, production modalities and ways of living in the valley, strictly controlling and curbing wetland water contamination, establishing a mechanism to coordinate government agencies at different levels, setting up a unified coordination organization for wetland management, strengthening legislations for wetland protection, evaluating the impacts of major hydraulic projects on wetland ecosystem, enhancing international cooperation and exchanges in the field of wetland utilization, and establishing a China-German joint mechanism to study wetland ecosystem.

 

China-Sweden Workshop on Advanced Material

A China-Sweden advanced material workshop was recently convened in Beijing. Jointly initiated by the China Ministry of Science and Technology and the Swedish Innovation Bureau, the event marks a promotion for exchanges and cooperation between the two nations in the field of material science and engineering.  Some 40 participants from Chinese and Swedish research institutes, universities, industries, and from China national 863 program attended the meeting. Participants made extensive discussion of diversified topics on composite materials, biomaterials, high performance metal materials, high performance ceramics, nanomaterials, and pulverized metallurgical materials.

To secure a platform for exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and Swedish research institutes, universities, industries, technology intermediaries, and government agencies, the workshop made its debut in 2001 at the Chalmers University of Technology in Göteborg, Sweden. Under the principle of equality and mutual benefit, the collaboration has narrowed down the gap between China and advanced countries in the fields of titanium-nickel and titanium-platinum studies, through frequent exchanges of both personnel and information. It has also become a development platform for China’s research findings on advanced materials. In addition, a center established by both parties for cooperation and exchanges in advanced materials has become a communication channel between material development institutes of two nations and a bridge to seek for cooperation opportunities. The center has forged cooperation in the fields of Ti-A1 composites and metal ceramic composite materials between China and Sweden, rendering contributions to the development of China’s advanced materials.

China-Japan Cooperation on Immune Program

A meeting was held May 17-18, 2005 in Tokyo to herald the completion of a project for enhancing China’s immune efforts, a cooperation initiative between China and Japan through JICA. Initiated under the China-Japan intergovernmental JICA framework for technology cooperation, the special project was jointly implemented by China Ministry of Health and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) from June 1, 2000 to May 31, 2005. The project has covered more than 100 million people of some 40 ethnic origins in 5 provinces and autonomous regions, including Shanxi, Shan’xi, Gansu, Qinghai, and Ningxia physically located in the middle or west part of the country. Under the close coordination of both Chinese and Japanese personnel, and thanks to vigorous efforts of health and diseases control departments at different levels, the 5-year project achieved its major indicators as designed, through promoting vaccination safety, enhancing vaccination service quality, and strengthening diseases watch. The project plays an important role in promoting immune inoculations over middle and west provinces and autonomous regions, and in helping vast children population fend off preventable diseases. As much welcomed by local government and people, the project rendered its contributions to implementing the west development strategy and promoting the harmonized development of the west region. To accomplish the desired objectives, the Japanese side contributed equipment worth RMB 15.6 million, and the Chinese side RMB 150 million of cash. 

China-Germany Nanobiotechnology Workshop

A China-Germany nano-biotechnology workshop was recently held in Changsha. At the workshop co-sponsored by the China Ministry of Science and Technology and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Chinese and German experts had an extensive and fruitful discussion of nano-biotechnology. A China-Germany nanobioltechnology association was officially established at the session. Some 60 Chinese  experts from the Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and other institutes attended the workshop. Attended from the German side were experts from the Max Planck Society and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft.

With the joint support of the Nano-biotechnology Lab under the Ministry of Health, China National Nanoscience Center, Hunan Provincial Department of Science and Technology, and Zhongnan University, the bilateral workshop makes the first of its kind to share cutting edge nano-biotechnology between Chinese and German scientists.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Weather Payloads Completed

Four optical probe instruments, payloads to be aboard the FY-III weather satellite, have been developed by the Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics, part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The probes are infrared spectrophotometer, moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer, scanning radiometer, and earth radiometer. Needed by the operation of the FY-III weather satellite, all but ten-channel scanning radiometer are first Chinese made in the country, with technical indicators approaching the level of imported counterparts. The scanning radiometer will partially inherit the one aboard FY-I.

As a basic payload for consecutive observation, the ten-channel scanning radiometer is mainly designed to collect 2-D earth images from ten channels, capable for transmitting, processing and recording high-resolution global images. The moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer is set for dynamic watch of global oceans, lands, and atmosphere, enhancing China’s capacity in weather forecast, climate change study, and earth environment watch. As a major probe payload aboard FY-III, the infrared spectrophotometer is missioned to collect data on air temperature, humidity profile, ozone, clouds, and aerosols, providing parameters for weather forecast, climate change study, and environment watch.  The earth radiometer will observe the longwave and solar radiations between earth and atmosphere, providing accurate radiation information for long and medium term climate change studies.

Black Rot Gene Spotted

In collaboration with the South and North Branches of China Human Genome Research Center, and Guangxi University, a study team headed by HE Chaozu, research fellow of  the Institute of Microbiology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, have completed the full sequence of Xanthomonas campestris pathovar campestris (Xcc). Chinese scientists systematically studied the genes that make the causative agents of black rot disease, using advanced means of comparative and functional genomics. Researchers spotted 75 genes in 13 genus from 16,512 transformants, or 1.8% of the 4,273 genes in the genome, that bear direct or indirect linkages with the genesis and development of the disease. The identification of these genes show a very complicated process to produce black rot disease, needing combined physiological and metabolic efforts of multiple bacteria. The finding was reported as a cover story in the journal Genome Research published on May 16, 2005.

The finding provides genetic evidences and experimental materials for an in-depth study of molecular aspects of black rot disease. It is also valuable for studying bacteria diseases attacking rice and other plants, opening up a new approach for plant diseases control.

Proprietary Embedded Development Platform

China’s first proprietary platform for embedded system development, developed by No. 716 Institute under China Shipbuilding Industry Corp., with a Chinese made CPU and in line with world Internet standards, has recently passed the technical verification check.

With home made CPU as the carrier and Linux operating system as the base, the platform is integrated with an embedded real-time operating system, integration development environment, development board, and simulator. Equipped with built-in system security hardware and software, the platform is able to fend off hackers’ attack. It can work on embedded hardware and software development, functioned with security strategy list, event manager, and enhanced security modality. It offers an advanced applied development tool for embedding industries, including defense electronic information equipment, consumer electronic appliances, and instruments. Enjoying numerous merits, including lower cost, advanced technology and compatibility with home made CPU, the new system creates conditions for localization of key network information technologies and enhancing information security.

8-route Dual-Core Server

Shuguang Corp. recently announced its successful development of an 8-route dual-core server. The computer server is able to run eight CPUs at the same time, with two CPUs on the same chip. Eight CPUs, with two inner cores on each, make the computer be of a computation capacity similar to running 16 CPUs at the same time. The configuration greatly enhances the performance, and improves computation density and performance/power consumption ratio.

Following delivery of dual-core processors by AMD in April, Shuguang announced its dual-core servers with ten different specifications ranging from 2-route to 4-route, and further to 8-route, in an attempt to meet diverse needs. To promote commercial applications of dual-core servers, Shuguang has officially kicked off a dual-core upgrading program to help single-core clients to step on the dual-core platform in a seamless manner. 

China’s DME Bus

Shanghai Jiaotong University has recently made the debut of a DME bus, the first of its kind in the country. The joint test made by state authorities for heavy duty automobile quality and auto products has confirmed numerous merits, including a powerful dynamic system, greatly reduced noise, a tail emission much lower than Europe-III standard, with zero carbon exhaust, offering a desirable solution to curb urban bus pollution.

The combustion and environment technology center, a part of the University, started to study DME as a fuel and the associated combustion principle in 1997. Scientists have systematically worked on different aspects of DME fuel jet processing, including pump end, nozzle pipe pressure, needle valve ascending, sound speed, boiling fog phenomenon, combustion process, and reliability of DEM engines. The University eventually rolled out a DEM engine named D6114ZLQB, with three national invention patent grants.

       Comments or inquiries on editorial matters or Newsletter content should be directed to:

Mr. Mao Zhongying, Department of International Cooperation, MOST 15B, Fuxing Road Beijing 100862, PR China  Tel: (8610)58881360 Fax: (8610) 58881364

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