China is to launch research into 12 key technologies this year in
an effort to prevent foreign companies from having a monopoly over
strategic advanced technologies.
At
the annual National Conference on Science and Technology, which
started yesterday in Beijing, Minister of Science and Technology Xu
Guanhua said that because of its entry into the World Trade
Organization, China should prepare itself well in science and
technology.
According to Xinhua news agency, the ministry will concentrate on
super-scale integrated circuits and computer soft-ware, information
security systems, e-administration and e-finance, functional gene
chips and biochips, electric automobiles, magnetic levitation
trains, new medicines and modernizing production of traditional
Chinese medicines, intensive processing of farm produce, dairy
product manufacturing, food security, water-conservation farming,
water pollution control and 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, 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 10
years in the design and manufacture of super scale integrated
circuits.
While constructing electronic plat-forms in the administration of
public affairs and finance, the country wants to stimulate related
industries in the coming years, Xu said.
Facing patent encroachment in bio-engineering from foreign
companies, Chinese researchers are urged to focus more on the
biochip area and to apply for more patents in that field, he
said.
By
the end of 2005, the ministry plans to spend 5 billion yuan (US$600
million) on research into the 12 key technologies.
Xu
also urged businesses nationwide, whether state or privately owned,
to help the government boost these strategic technologies.
China is drawing up new strategies to be used in human resource and
patent management and for the establishment of technical standards
to cope with increasing global competition in science and
technology, the minister said.
While warning that more top-notch Chinese scientists could possibly
work for foreign countries in the future, Xu urged local science
and technology administrators to attract domestic and overseas
scientists.
In
order to achieve that goal, the ministry plans to provide promising
young scientists with more key national programs. Researchers will
also be paid more when appointed to these posts.
In
new high-technology ventures, he 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 latest global patent trends and take appropriate
measures, according to the minister.
(eastday.com January 10,
2002)