In 2001, 240,000 contracts on the transfer of technology were signed, with a transactional value of 80 billion yuan (about US$10 billion), up 23 percent on the previous year, according to the Statistical Communique of China on the 2001 National Economic and Social Development issued Thursday.

Significant progress was made in scientific research and development (R&D) activities and in the application of the results. By the end of 2001, China had 28.87 million professionals and technicians working in state-owned enterprises and institutions.

A total of 930,000 person-years were spent in R&D activities, including 700,000 person-years put in by scientists and engineers.

Last year, the expenditure on R&D for the whole country reached 96 billion yuan, up 7.1 percent over the previous year. The state organized 647 key technical innovation projects and 1,329 key pilot production projects for new products.

There were increased enrollments at all levels of education, including 7.19 million undergraduate student enrollments in general universities in China, of which 2.68 million were new entrants, an increase of 480,000.

(Xinhua News Agency March 1, 2002)