The Ministry of Science and Technology will invest 11 billion
yuan (US$1.32 billion) this year to fuel the country's high
technology and agricultural development.
Particular efforts will paid to ensure pollution-free grain
safety and help farmers fatten their pocketbooks while improving
health and medical services, China Daily learned from the
ministry's Department for Development and Planning.
Projects for high-yield rice, wheat and maize will be expanded
in the northeast, north and central areas of China to sustain the
country's grain production capacity, said Jia Jingdun, an official
of the ministry's Department for Rural and Social Development.
Through regional intermediary agencies, more farmers will be
taught technology to better process produce to increase their
incomes, said Jia.
Water-saving technology will be expanded in the arid north and
northwest parts of the country to help quench thirsty crops in
those areas and increase local agricultural production. Meanwhile,
grass and forest conservation technologies will be applied in these
areas to better protect the ecology, said Jia.
The country has built 36 national agricultural technology parks
in both eastern and western areas to mobilize adjacent agricultural
production.
Jia said the parks are expected to help spread new farming
skills in more provinces or autonomous regions.
With regards to health and medical services, scientists are
expected to make technological breakthroughs in testing and in the
prevention and treating hepatitis, AIDS and other difficult
diseases.
In high technology, firms will focus on projects as integrated
circuit design, computer software, electric vehicles, information
security, electronic business, digital machine tools and new
material resources.
Upgrading traditional industries through high technology is an
important step this year, officials said.
The ministry has also started new projects to help upgrade old
and industrial bases in northeast China. The first group of
programs cover such areas as traditional Chinese medicine, the
manufacturing industry using information technology, the milk
industry and animal husbandry field.
Moreover, scientific officials from the European Union (EU) have
shown great interest in the ministry's projects and upgrading old
industries using high technology in Heilongjiang, Jilin and
Liaoning provinces.
EU officials Wednesday visited some State-owned firms in cities
of Dalian, Shenyang, Changchun and Harbin in the three provinces to
discuss technological exchanges with local governments and firm
executives.
Germany officials are visiting industrial firms in Northeast
China, and Germany and China are to soon sign a memorandum of
understanding to help restructure traditional industries, train
staff of enterprises and inject high technology into old industries
in Northeast China.
To ensure the implementation of big scientific projects this
year, the ministry will invest an additional 800 million yuan
(US$96 million) to improve research facilities.
The ministry will soon circulate three regulations to help
rationalize the use of large scientific instruments, build
facilities for basic scientific research and co-share scientific
information nationwide over the next five years.
(China Daily April 1, 2004)