China crafts blueprint for future science

CHINA has made grand plans towards the advancement in the research of protein, quanta, nano and genesiology – four frontier sections in biology, information technology, resource research and health – in the next 15 years, according to its science and technology development blueprint published today.

The "Mid to Long-term Science and Technology Development Plan (2006 – 2020)," issued by the State Council, said China will enhance its basic research, such as global environment responses to human activities, causes and development of calamities, to largely improve the country's strength and people's daily lives for the future.

The new plan also aims at 16 key 'practical use' projects, including core electronic components, very large scale integrated-circuitry, advanced chips, software, next generation broadband communications, digitally controlled machine tools, nuclear power stations, large oil field exploitation, gene modification, pharmaceutical research and development, as well as AIDS prevention and moon exploration.

China will accelerate its technical research of 11 major industries, including energy, water resources, mining, environment protection, manufacturing, traffic and public security.

Besides the technological renovation, China will reform its science and technology management system, merging military research systems with that of civil purposes.

To support the development, China's central and local governments will raise their financial investments annually, which will account for 2.5 percent of total national gross domestic product by 2020.

President Hu Jintao told a science and technology conference in Beijing today that scientific modernization is the key to China's modernization.

In his speech, Hu calls on a nation-wide effort to implement the 15-year plan that will guide China to an innovation-oriented country.