China to Focus 12 Key Technologies, Ready for Int'l Sci-tech Competition

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, January 10, 2002

China to Focus 12 Key Technologies, Ready for Int'l Sci-tech Competition

Chinese Minister of Science and Technology Xu Guanhua said Wednesday that China plans to launch research into 12 key technologies this year, in a fight against foreign competitors' monopoly in strategic advanced technologies. China is setting new planning strategies for use in human resource and patent management and theestablishment of technical standards to cope with increasing world competition in science and technology.

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At the annual National Conference on Science and Technology, which started Wednesday in Beijing, Xu said that because of its entry into the World Trade Organization, China should prepare itself well in science and technology, especially by pioneering frontiers of advanced and emerging technology.

The ministry will concentrate on super scale integrated circuits and computer software, information security systems, e-administration and e-finance, functional gene-chips and bio-chips,electric automobiles, magnetic levitation trains, new medicines and modernization of production of traditional Chinese medicines, intensive processing of farm produce, dairy product manufacturing,food security, water-conservation farming, water pollution controland the establishment of key technical standards.

The top priority will be information technology, which is now very competitive internationally, said Xu, encouraging Chinese scientists to invent new central processing units (CPU), network computers and network software.

According to a timetable released by the ministry, China plans to push its way into the world's top ranks over the next five to ten years in the design and manufacture of super scale integrated circuit.

While constructing electronic platforms in the administration of public affairs and financial business, the country wants to stimulate related industries in the coming years, Xu said.

Faced with patent encroachment in bio-engineering from foreign companies, Chinese researchers are urged to invent more in the bio-chip area and to apply for more patents in that field, he said.

By the end of 2005, the ministry plans to spent five billion yuan (600 million U.S. dollars) on research into the 12 key technologies.

Xu also urged businesses nationwide, whether state or privatelyowned, to join the government plan for boosting the strategic technologies.

Preparing for Int'l Sci-tech Competition

China is setting new planning strategies for use in human resource and patent management and theestablishment of technical standards to cope with increasing world competition in science and technology.

Xu Guanhua said that his ministry must put great effort into reducingthe side effects of scientific and technological globalization facing China since its entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO).

While warning that more high achieving Chinese scientists couldpossibly work for foreign countries in the future, Xu urged local science and technology administrators to try to attract domestic and overseas scientists.

In order to achieve that goal, the ministry plans to provide promising young scientists with more national key programs. Researchers will also be paid more when appointed to these posts, Xu said.

In new high-technology ventures, Xu said, scientists and researchers could be offered optional shares.

For more effective protection of intellectual property, the ministry, together with the State Intellectual Property Office, plans to study the world's latest patent trends and take appropriate measures, Xu said.

In addition, Xu stressed the importance of establishing technical standards, regarded by him as advantageous when facing future world competition in industrialization.

Research and Development Conditions

China's Ministry of Science and Technology poured 450 million yuan (54.2 million U.S. dollars) in 2001 into improving conditions for research and making industrial use of scientific discoveries.

The Minister said that his ministry has invested the money into basic research, research which benefits the public and international sci-tech cooperation.

Last year, the ministry supported 161 national key laboratories and 197 engineering centers, with seven being newly established in 2001.

The ministry also encouraged the industrial use of scientific or technological achievements.

Xu said that in 2001 the ministry mainly supported scientific and technological research and development in agricultural fieldsas well as the growth of new high-technology.

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