China Science & Technology Digest:
October 1-15, 2004

ATIP

This digest summarizes S&T-related articles that appeared in the media ATIP monitored in the first half of October 2004. 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.

Thirty One Key State Projects in Basic Research Funded
The state will support 31 research projects in the next five years including genetic research related to crops, genome research on cotton fiber, coal gasification and liquefaction technologies, pollution control and ecological restoration in the Northeast industrial belt, cancer prevention and treatment, membrane protein structure and function. Research and development (R&D) expenditure accounted for 1.32 percent of the gross domestic product last year.
Source: China Daily October 15, 2004

High-Tech Industry Develops Steadily
The National Development and Reform Commission estimates that China's high-tech industry is developing steadily at an annual rate of 20 percent. It is predicted that by 2010, the output value of the high-tech industry will amount to ten trillion yuan or US$1.2 trillion.
Source: CRI October 14, 2004

China & Brazil to Launch Three Earth Resources Satellites
China and Brazil plan to launch three satellites, 02B, 03, and 04 of Sino-Brazilian Earth Resource Satellite series, in the coming few years to gather information on the Earth's environment, agriculture, urban development planning, and water pollution. China launched the two satellites, 01 and 02, which were developed by Chinese and Brazilian scientists, into preset orbits in 1999 and 2003 atop Chinese-made Long March 4B rockets.
Source: Xinhua News Agency October 15, 2004

China Officially Joins Galileo Project
With the signing of an agreement with the European Union on October 9 in Beijing, China has officially joined Europe's Galileo satellite navigation system project. It is China's largest scientific project with other countries to date. China will provide 200 million Euros (US$248.2 million) for the project.
Source: CRI October 10, 2004

China Builds Advanced Solar Battery Company
The Nanjing Photovoltaic Solar Energy Co., Ltd under the Chinese Electricity Equipment Group, has begun construction of a solar battery plant with an initial investment of about US$30 million.
Source: CRI October 11, 2004

Bayer Launches New Projects
Bayer, the German-based chemical and health care giant, launched the construction of two new projects with a total investment of approximately US$200 million, in Shanghai. The new projects will be built at Bayer Material Science's US$3.1 billion Integrated Production Site (IPS) in the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park (SCIP) in Caojing. By 2006, a production facility for the coating raw material hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) and a production plant and logistics facilities for the polyurethane raw material diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) will be built in IPS.
Source: China Daily October 12, 2004

World Engineers' Convention 2004 Well Prepared
About 3,000 engineers worldwide will convene in the upcoming World Engineers' Convention 2004 (WEC2004) to be held in Shanghai from November 2 to 6, 2004. An exhibition on major Chinese engineering projects, including the Three Gorges Project, the manned space program, and major projects scheduled for the next five to 10 years, will be showcased during the convention.
Source: Xinhua News Agency October 11, 2004

China High-Tech Fair Opens in Shenzhen
The Sixth Annual China High-tech Fair (CHTF), one of the nation's leading international technology events, opened in Shenzhen on October 12. Thirty-one renowned universities and 44 multinational companies, including Intel, Oracle, HP and Sanyo, participated in the fair. Vice Premier Wu Yi announced at the fair that China is improving intellectual property rights protection to create a sound environment for high-tech industrial development. China will expand its cooperation with countries around the world to crack down on IPR violations.
Source: China Daily October 13, 2004

China to Build 3rd Station in Antarctica
China plans to invest some 500 million yuan (approx. $60 million) to improve Polar research facilities in the next three years to prepare for the building of a third station on Antarctica.
According to the plan, China's third research station on Antarctica will be built at the highest point of the Polar icecap, which peaks 4,300 meters above sea level, a point known as Doma A. China will launch its 21st Antarctic expedition on October 25 this year, targeting the Doma A for the first time. During the 150-day expedition, a team of 12 scientists and journalists will set up climate observation and environment monitoring equipment on the Dome A for collecting first-hand information for the building of the new station.
Source: Xinhua News Agency October 14, 2004

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