China's Ministry of Science and Technology issuing a plan for biotechnology innovation on April 28 (file photo)

China’s Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) issued a special plan for biotechnology innovation in the 13th Five-Year Plan which says that China’s biotech sector will exceed four percent of GDP by 2020, Xinhua reported on April 28.

According to the plan, China is to make some major achievements in biotechnology by 2020, which will promote its development in fields including medicine, agriculture, resources, and environmental protection.

A large number of new technologies have emerged with China’s rapid development in biotechnology in recent years, said Zhang Zhaofeng, Director of MOST’s Science and Technology for Social Development.

He added that by 2020, China will build 10-20 science parks for biomedicine with a total output value surpassing 10 billion RMB ($1.45B). And for the past five years, China has ranked second in the world in terms of published papers and patent applications.

But China’s biotech development still faces some hurdles. The country lacks original scientific discoveries and disruptive technologies and doesn’t always transform ideas into results.

As for the weak links, Zhang notes that relevant departments adhering to independent innovation will fully develop across all industries and take the lead in some.