China's sci-tech R&D lags behind world's advanced level by 5 years

The People's Daily has learned from the National Research Centre for Science and Technology for Development (NRCSTD) that relevant departments are working on the investigation and analysis over the capability of China's sci-tech development.

The investigation which has been accomplished so far in the fields of information, bio- science, new materials, energy, resources and environment as well as advanced manufacturing shows that the overall level of sci-tech development in China is five years behind the world's advanced level. Meanwhile, China's future sci-tech development will mainly rely on independent development.

Cheng Jiayu, deputy director with the Department of Forecasting and Analysis, NRCSTD noted that Ministry of Science and Technology has made overall arrangements for technological forecasting and research in the "Tenth Five-Year" period. Forecasting and research on key techniques selection was initiated in three areas: information, bio-science and new materials in October 2002. Besides that, the forecasting and research over energy, resources environment and advanced manufacturing have been launched since last June with a time span of 10 to 15 year. All the research results have been published.

As for the total 483 techniques in six categories under the investigation, only "Chinese information processing technique" ranks among the world's most advanced, and 20 gained the equal footing with the world's leading level, accounting for 4 percent, and 423, or 88 percent of the total, are five years behind the world's level. Thirty-nine projects, which is 8 percent of the total, even fell six to ten years behind. Generally speaking, China's sci-tech development level is five years behind the world's leading level.

According to experts, 64 percent of the projects in the field of information can be industrialized and those for biological technique and new materials are 36 percent and 39 percent respectively in the five year starting from 2003.

In the next six to ten years, 36 percent of the projects in the fields of information will be industrialized and those for biological technique and new materials will be 64 percent and 61 percent respectively.

This has demonstrated that information technology was much earlier industrialized than biological technique and new materials were and the industrialization cost for new materials is relatively low, whereas that for biological technique is much higher. Furthermore, China is much stronger in terms of the new materials development and that for biological research is rather weak.

So far out of the 261 projects assessed in the fields of resources, resources and environment, and advanced manufacturing, 182 projects can be developed independently by China. Joint research is more practical than self-development for 79 projects.

It is expected that 192 projects will result to China's proprietary intellectual property rights by 2009, accounting for 73.6 percent, and 69 projects, taking up 26.4 percent, will yield the proprietary intellectual property rights for China in the next six to ten years.

Experts believe that independent research and development should play the leading role in research and development in China. Apart from that, joint development is an option.

It is reported that the technical forecasting over agricultural sector, communication as well as urban construction is still under way.

By People's Daily Online