China lags behind developed nations like the United States in scientific and technological innovation, hampering its competitiveness in an increasingly science and technology-oriented world, according to an expert with the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO).
SIPO expert Yuan De said, slowness in innovation would restrict scientific and technological advancement, and bottleneck progress of China's economy in the long run.
Statistics showed 37,800 of the 200,000 patents received by the SIPO in 2001 were from abroad. However, China only filed 100 to 200 patent applications, most of which related to herbal medicines and mechanical technology, in the United States last year.
Factors such as the inadequate capabilities of China's scientific and technological professionals in making innovations and lack of proper protection of intellectual property rights were attributable to the underdevelopment of scientific and technological ingenuity.
Meanwhile, the development of international research institutions has drawn a large number of Chinese scientific and technological experts.
In recent years, however, China's science and technology circle had worked hard to sharpen its competitive edges. Outstanding achievements in the international human genome project, hybrid rice genome project and software programming had greatly promoted scientific and technological development.
China's 10th Five-Year Plan, from 2001 to 2005, included the first-ever chapter to focus on the industrialization of new high-tech industries and the use of information technologies in the country's economy.
Technologies highlighted in the plan, such as the wideband information system, third-generation mobile communication, high-definition television and broadcasting satellites, would help develop China's scientific and technological industries.
(Xinhua News Agency November 1, 2002)
