Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, April 12, 2002
Country Has High Hopes in Hi-tech
The government will invest 3 billion yuan (US$361 million) per year over the next five years, to further implement the country's flagship high-technology plan, the Ministry of Science and Technology announced Thursday.
The government will invest 3 billion yuan (US$361 million) per year over the next five years, to further implement the country's flagship high-technology plan, the Ministry of Science and Technology announced Thursday (April 11).
China welcomes foreign scientists, including those from the European Union (EU), to participate in plans for joint research in information technology, biology, the environment and other fields.
The plan, widely-known as the "863 Programme'' initiated in March 1986 will reinforce China's overall competitiveness in the economy and national defence.
It has now been opened to foreign scientists, ministry official Yu Ying was quoted as saying by Beijing-based China Daily.
The ministry will provide 100 million yuan (US$12 million) each year to support co-operation in science and technology between China and other countries, according to the newspaper.
Information forum to discuss IT cooperation
The Euro-China Co-operation Forum on the Information Society will take place next Tuesday to Saturday (April 16-20) in Beijing.
Xu Guanhua, minister of science and technology, and Erkki Liikanen, European Commissioner in charge of enterprise and information society, will sign a joint statement outlining future co-operative programmes in information technology (IT) between China and the EU, said the newspaper.
The forum will attract nearly 700 participants from big European IT firms, to discuss co-operation with Chinese IT companies.
Following the forum, China and the EU both hope to co-operate more in areas such as integrated circuitry, high-performance computers, mobile communications and digital-technology for the 2008 Olympic Games.
China will also explore the possibility of joining Europe's plan for the Galileo Satellite Navigation System, and further links with the EU's Joint Research Centre, Eureka Programme, European Science Foundation and European Space Agency, according to the newspaper.