China Science & Technology Digest:
March 1-15, 2003

ATIP

This digest summarizes S&T-related articles that appeared in the media ATIP monitored in the first half of March 2003. Some articles reference a relevant website to assist readers in obtaining further information. For questions or to request additional information, please send email to ChinaST@atip.or.jp. The exchange rate used for this issue is RMB8.287 against the U.S. dollar.

China's Top Award Given to HPC Scientist
Jin Yilian, a 74-year-old computer scientist from the Chinese Academy of Engineering won China's 2002 top science prize, the State Preeminent Science and Technology Award, in Beijing, on February 28th. Jin Yilian is one of the pioneers in the development of high performance computers in China. At the same ceremony, Jiang Xikui, a renowned chemist from the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), received the State Natural Science Award. The scientist invented a series of new concepts and developed comprehensive and reliable parameters that "yield the fundamental meanings" to research into the phenomenon of life and some physical and pathological processes. A total of two hundred and sixty nine scientific research achievements received the State Science and Technology Award.
Source: People's Daily 03/01/2003

China Launched Its Most Powerful Super-Server
China recently launched its most powerful super-server, Dawning 4000L, in Beijing. It was developed by the National Research Center for Intelligent Computing Systems (NCIC) and Dawning Information Industry Co. Ltd. The Dawning 4000L’s peak performance is more than 3 teraflops with 644 processors, 644GB of physical memory and 100 teraflops of storage. The machine can be upgraded on-line to 6.75 teraflops of computing capability by doubling the number of processors to 1,300, and can have 4 terabytes of physical memory as well as 600 terabytes of storage.
Source: Xinhua News Agency 03/16/2003

China Ranks World 7th in Overall National Strength for Sustainable Development & 4th in Military Power
The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) issued a 300-odd-page "Report on Strategy for Sustainable Development in China, 2003" in which an evaluation of overall national strength for sustainable development was made, with the value of ecological environment considered an important index of assessment. The seven indexes covered by the report are strength in economy, science and technology, military power, ecology, government control, diplomacy, as well as social development level.
According to the report, China's comprehensive strength for sustainable development ranks seventh among thirteen large countries, including the US, the UK, Russia, Japan, Italy, India, Germany, France, Canada, Brazil, Australia, and South Africa, while Beijing's total capability for sustainable development ranks second among Mainland Chinese cities. With respect to economic strength, China, following the US and Japan, is listed as third in the world. For it military power, China takes fourth place after the US, Japan, and the UK. The nation's capabilities in terms of diplomacy, ecology, and government control ranks fifth, sixth, and thirteenth respectively. The social development level and science-technology both rank eleventh.
Of the thirty-one provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities in China’s inland areas, Beijing ranks second in overall strength for sustainable development, next only to Shanghai.
Source: Xinhua News Agency 03/06/2003

China to Upgrade Carrier Rocket for Lunar Expedition
China is now capable of sending a lunar probe to the moon with its existing carrier rocket, but it still needs a stronger carrier rocket to fulfill the mission of both sending a lunar probe to the moon and enabling it to return to the earth. China is thinking of developing new-generation rocket carriers with a much stronger propelling power to fulfill the mission. So far, the country's Long-March series of carrier rockets have made 69 launches, of which 63 were successful. The Long-March 2-F rocket, used to launch the Shenzhou spacecraft, is believed to be capable of launching a lunar probe, provided that it is installed with additional propellant capabilities.
Source: Xinhua News Agency 03/09/2003

Submarine Robot Sets out for Sea
A Chinese-made submarine robot which can operate at a depth of 6,000 meters will set out for sea this month to carry out tasks of mineral resources exploration. The robot was developed by the Chinese Academy of Engineering. China developed its first submarine robot "ROV" in 1986, which works under sea through cables, and is chiefly used for oil exploration, production, and rescue tasks. The nation's first-generation submarine robot "Explorer" that can operate at a depth of 1,000 meters was completed in 1994. The first set of 6,000-meter robot was completed in 1995. The current one, due to be launched this month, is China's second 6,000-meter robot, and is on a par technologically with the advanced international standards.
Source: Xinhua News Agency 03/11/2003

New China-Designed Helicopter Completes Maiden Flight
China released a new helicopter, the Z11-MB1, at Jingdezhen, east China's Jiangxi Province. The helicopter, an improved model of the Z11 helicopter, is equipped with an engine provided by Turbomeca Co., Ltd, of France, and can reach a maximum height of 6,000 meters, compared with the original model's 4,500 meters. It has an integrated display and monitor system, short wave and ultrashortwave radio, GPS navigation system, and intercom. China has approximately 90 helicopters for civil use and would need another 200 by 2010.
Source: Xinhua News Agency 03/10/2003

Leading Computing Tech Institute Opens Branch in Shanghai
The Research Institute of Computing Technology, under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), will open a branch in the Pudong New District of Shanghai. The new research center will specialize in the research and development of telecom, network, and computer technologies and in the transfer of research results and training. The CAS Research Institute of Computing Technology is the first national research organization of this kind on the Chinese mainland. It is also a training center for senior professionals in the IT field.
Source: Xinhua News Agency 03/14/2003

China's First Software Offshore Development Center to Be Built
China's first center for developing patented software for overseas customers, also known as offshore development, will be built in Shenzhen City of south China's Guangdong Province. The center will be jointly constructed by Shenzhen Software Park and ZenSar, a software development giant in India. According to the agreement, application software, mainly for telecommunications and finance, meeting CMM Level 5, the highest global software quality standard, will be developed at the center.
The center is expected to have the capacity to export 20 million US dollars of application software annually within two years of operation.
Source: Xinhua News Agency 03/01/2003

Microsoft Opens Windows Source Code to China
Microsoft has signed an agreement with China Information Technology Security Certification Centre that gives the Center access to the source code of Windows operating system. The Chinese government is one of the first to have signed such an agreement with Microsoft, which is currently in discussion with over thirty countries, territories, and organizations about opening its source code to governments worldwide. The software giant has also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Beijing Municipal Commission for Science and Technology and the Information Office of the Beijing Municipal government, covering future investment in Beijing.
Source: China Daily 03/17/2003

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