China will award permits to competent private institutes and enterprises to research and develop weaponry and equipment, national defense authorities announced on Friday.
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The historic move comes as the country opens its defense industry to the public once a landmark weaponry production licensing statute takes effect from June 15.
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"We plan to examine around 300 institutes and companies, including private entities, for permit issuance in the second half of this year," Liu Dongkui, a division director of the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, told reporters in Beijing.
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"A substantial breakthrough will be made in giving access of national defense sector to non-public segments of the economy."
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Such privilege used to be a monopoly of state-owned entities within the military industry, according to commission sources.
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During the past six years, the commission has issued 540 permits to core weaponry and equipment researchers and producers, Liu said.
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Under the new implementation methods, qualified institutes and firms, public or private, may apply for permits to do research and development on specific weaponry listed in a special catalogue, Liu said.
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(China Daily May 28, 2005)