National Outline for Medium and Long Term S&t development Planning (2006-2020)

Development Goals

The general objectives for the nation’s S&T development (2006-2020) will be to: noticeably enhance indigenous innovation capability and S&T level in promoting economic and social development and in maintaining national security, in an effort to provide powerful support for the building of a well-to-do society; noticeably improve comprehensive strength in basic research and frontier technology development; and attain a series of high world impact S&T achievements and join the ranks of innovative countries, thus paving the way for becoming a world S&T power by mid 21stcentury.

Through efforts over the next 15 years, the nation will meet the following objectives in some major scientific and technological areas: 1) mastering core technologies in equipment manufacturing and information industry that are critical to the nation’s competitiveness, and bringing the technological capability of manufacturing and information industries to the world advanced levels; 2) making the nation a world leader in overall agricultural S&T capability, raising the comprehensive capacity of China’s agricultural production, and ensuring the nation’s food safety.; 3) achieving technological breakthroughs in energy development, energy conservation, and clean energy, and advocating optimized energy structures, with unit energy consumption of major industrial products reaching or approaching world advanced levels; 4) establishing technological development models featured with cyclic economy in major sectors and municipalities, and providing S&T support for building a resource saving and environment friendly society; 5) noticeably enhancing the level of major diseases prevention and control, curbing the spread of major diseases, including HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and other major diseases, striving for breakthroughs in new drugs and key medical equipment, and developing a technological capability for industrialization; 6) in defense science and technology, basically meeting the needs in developing modern arms and associated information technology, and providing S&T support for safeguarding national security; 7) establishing a world-caliber contingent of scientists and research teams, attaining high-impact innovative achievements in the mainstream of science development, bringing the technological level in such frontier areas as information, biology, materials, and space to world advanced levels; and 8) establishing a number of world-class research institutes and universities, and world-competitive industrial R&D centers so that a fairly comprehensive national innovation system of Chinese characteristics can take shape.

By 2020, the nation’s gross expenditures on R&D (GERD) are expected to rise to 2.5% or above of the gross domestic product(GDP) with the rate of S&T contribution to the economy reaching 60% or above, and dependence on imported technology reduced to 30% or below, and the annual invention patents granted to Chinese nationals and the international citations of scientific papers moving into the top five countries.

3. 
   Overall Deployment
   

In the next 15 years, China’s S&T undertakings will be deployed as follows: 1) In light of our country’s concrete conditions and needs, identify a number of priority areas, break through some major technological snags so as to raise the nation’s overall S&T support capability. This Outline identifies 11 priority areas for economic and social development, from which 68 priority topics of clearly defined missions and possible technical breakthrough in near term will be selected. 2) Implement some special major projects that are in line with national objectives, and will lead to the leaping development or fill up a blank. The Outline makes the arrangement for total of 16 special major projects. 3) To respond to future challenges, advance deployment will be made for frontier technologies and basic research topics, in order to ensure sustained innovative capability and lead future economic and social development. The Outline selects 27 frontier in 8 technological fields, and 18 basic scientific issues as priorities. It also proposes to implement four major scientific research programs. 4) Deepen the S&T system reform by perfecting relevant policies and measures, increasing S&T investment, strengthening the buildup of S&T talents, and promoting the creation of a national innovation system in order to provide reliable support for the nation to become an innovation-oriented society

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Strategic priorities are identified according to the urgent needs for building a well-to-do society, international S&T development trends, and the nation’s overall strength. 1) Energy, water resources, and environmental protection related technologies are selected as priorities, in an effort to address major bottleneck issues in the economic and social development. 2) Efforts should be made to grasp the rare opportunities presented by continued strong development of information technology and advanced materials, making proprietary intellectual property rights in equipment manufacturing and information industries a major breakthrough point for enhancing the nation’s industrial competitiveness. 3) Biotechnology is selected as a priority for the future development of the high-tech industry together with enhanced biotechnological applications to agriculture, industry, population and health. 4) Accelerate the development of aerospace and marine technologies. 5) Strengthen basic research and frontier technology development, particularly interdisciplinary research.

III. Main Areas and Priority Topics
The nation’s S&T development shall be planned and deployed according to the principle of coordinated arrangement and advancement, with due consideration to priority areas and topics, so as to provide full and forceful support for addressing urgent issues in economic and social development”.
Priority areas refer to such industries and sectors that are both critical to economic and social development and national security and in dire need of S&T support. Priority topics within the priority areas are defined as urgently needed technology clusters that have clearly defined missions, sound technical foundations, and promising prospects for breakthroughs in the near term. The principles for selecting priority topics are: 1) topics that are desirable for breaking up bottleneck constraints and for enhancing the sustainability of economic growth; 2) topics that are desirable for mastering key and enabling technologies and for improving core industrial competitiveness; 3) topics that are desirable for addressing major public good S&T issues and raising the capability in providing public services; and 4) topics that are desirable for the development of dual-use technologies designed to enhance the capability in ensuring national security.

1. 
   Energy
   

Energy is of crucial strategic importance to the national economy. Our country is currently suffering from sharp discrepancies between energy supply and demand, an irrational energy structure, and low energy efficiency, with a predominantly coal-based primary energy consumption, resulting in severe environmental pollution. Over the next 15 years, meeting the fast growing demand for energy and for its clean and efficient utilization constitutes a major challenge for the development in energy-related science and technology.

Development paths: 1) Take energy saving as a top priority and reduce energy consumption. Overcoming technological snags critical energy saving in major energy consuming sectors and vigorously develop technologies for energy saving buildings so as to significantly improve efficiency in primary and end use of energy. 2) Increase energy supply by promoting a diversified energy structure. While raising the technological level of oil-gas utilization and hydroelectric power, it is encouraged to vigorously develop nuclear energy technology to acquire indigenous technology development capability in nuclear power systems. Strive for breakthroughs in renewable energy, including wind energy, solar energy, and biomass energy, and associated scale applications. 3) Promote clean and efficient use of coal in order to reduce environmental pollution. It is encouraged to vigorously develop clean, efficient, and safe coal exploration and aim at the world advanced levels. 4) Strengthen the assimilation and absorption of imported energy technologies and associated re-innovation. Master core technologies in building major equipment for coal-fired and nuclear power generation. 5) Raise the technological capability of optimizing regional energy distribution. Priorities will be given to developing advanced and reliable power transmission and distribution technologies to realize large volume, long distance, and efficient power transmission.
Priority topics:
(1) Industrial energy efficiency

Priorities will be given to research on and development of energy-saving technologies and equipment for major high energy consumption sectors, including process industries, such as metallurgical, chemical industry, and transportation industries. Developing energy-saving technologies for mechanical and electronic products, highly energy-efficient, long-life cycle LED products. Develop comprehensive utilization technologies at different energy gradients.

(2) Clean, efficient coal development and utilization, coal liquefaction, and gasification-based co-generation

Priorities will be placed on developing efficient mining technologies and equipment, and efficient power generation technology and equipment, including heavy duty gas turbines, integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC), high-parameter supercritical generators, and large supercritical circulating fluidized beds (CFB). It is also encouraged to develop transformation technologies for coal liquefaction, coal gasification, coal chemistry, coal gasification based polygeneration, and technologies and equipment for comprehensive control and utilization of pollutants derived from coal burning.

(3) Oil and gas prospecting, development, and utilization under complex geological conditions

Priorities will be given to the development of technologies for oil-gas prospecting in complex environment and rock strata, technologies for efficient and scale development of low grade oil-gas resources, technologies for increasing oil recovery in old oil fields, and technologies for prospecting and mining deep oil-gas reserves.

(4) Low-cost, large-scale development and utilization of renewable energy resources

Emphasis will be on the development of large wind power generators, construction technologies and equipment for coastal and inland wind fields as well as wind energy intensive areas in Western China, cost-effective technologies for solar photovoltaic batteries, technologies for solar-based power generation, technologies for built-in solar energy building structures, and technologies for developing and utilizing biomass and geothermal energy.

(5) Safeguards of super large electricity transmission and distribution networks

Priorities will be to develop technologies and equipment for long distance and large volume DC transmission, and for super high voltage AC transmission. Developing technologies for batch power grid and associated transmission and distribution, power quality monitoring and control, and safe power supply for large Internet networks.，key technologies for west-to-east electric power diversion project, technologies for automated grid dispatch system, and technologies and systems for efficient transmission and distribution management.

2．Water and Mineral Resources
Water and mineral resources constitute an important material basis for the sustainable economic and social development. Our country suffers from serious shortage of water and mineral resources, a low rate of comprehensive utilization of resources such as mineral resources and irrigation water which far below that of internationally advanced levels. With complex geological conditions for resources prospecting and increasing difficulties, there is an urgent need for technologies that can improve resources prospecting and utilization and raise the level of resources utilization.
Development paths: 1) Assign priority to resources saving. The focus will be research on technologies for agricultural water saving and urban cyclic water utilization, and technologies for trans-basin water diversion, rainfall and flood water utilization, and sea water desalination. 2) Overcome barriers of complex geological conditions so as to expand the existing resources reserves. Priorities will be placed on studying mine formation mechanism, and develop technologies for deep-mine evaluation and efficient prospecting, and fast prospecting technologies for mineral deposits under complex geological conditions in regions such as the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Striving to discover a number of large backup resource bases for additional resources supply. Develop technologies for efficient mining and comprehensive utilization in order to enhance comprehensive utilization of water and mineral resources. 3) Vigorously develop and utilize non-traditional resources. Master key technologies for the development and utilization of coal-bed methane and marine minerals so as to raise the research and development capability of novel resources utilization. 4) Strengthen innovative capability in developing equipment for resource prospecting. Vigorously develop technologies for high precision prospecting and drilling equipment, large mining machinery, and marine development platforms, to bring major resources prospecting equipment and facilities to world advanced levels.
Priority topics:
(6) Optimized distribution and comprehensive development and utilization of water resources

Priorities will be given to developing technologies for the conversion and optimal distribution of atmospheric moisture, surface water, soil moisture, and underground water, technologies for the utilization of contaminated water and rainfall and flood water, technologies for artificial rain enhancement, and key technologies for water control projects in major river systems, including the Yangtze River and Yellow River, and for major hydrological projects such as the south-to-north water diversion project.

(7) Comprehensive water conservation

Priorities will be to developing technologies for industrial cyclic utilization of water and water efficient production activities. Developing outfitting technologies for water saving in irrigation, dry land farming, and biological water efficiency. Strive for major breakthroughs in precision irrigation technology, and intelligent farming water management technology and equipment. Develop water saving technologies and devices for daily life applications.

(8) Seawater desalination

Priorities will be given to developing technologies for seawater pre-handling, nuclear energy coupling and electricity-heat cogeneration, low-cost membrane-based desalination and critical materials, and comprehensive utilization of salty water. Develop seawater desalination-based heating equipment for scale applications, seawater desalination facilities, and integrated coupling.

(9)Resources prospecting for additional reserves

Priorities shall be placed on studying the law of mineral formation mechanisms and prediction technologies, developing air-born geophysical survey techniques, and fast, comprehensive and in-depth prospecting technologies such as 3-D high-resolution earthquake and high-precision geomagnetism and geochemistry.

(10) Efficient development and utilization of mineral resources

Priorities will be on studying comprehensive technologies for deep and complex mining and wasteless mining; developing new processes and large equipment for automated ore preparation and smelting; and developing technologies for the utilization of low grade and complex mineral resources.

(11) Development and utilization of maritime resources

Priorities shall be placed on: developing prospecting technologies for offshore oil-gas deposits and comprehensive recovery technologies for thick-oil oilfields; developing technologies for the protection and effective utilization of marine biological resources; and developing technologies for direct seawater utilization and comprehensive exploitation of seawater chemical resources.

(12) Comprehensive zoning of resources

Priorities will be given to: research on technologies for comprehensive optimization of water and soil resources, farming activities, and ecological and environmental protection; developing analytical techniques for the optimization of multi-variable based large area resources distribution corresponding to regional distributions of water and land resources; and establishing decision-making models for optimized development of water and land resources in different areas.

2. 
   The Environment
   

Ecological and environmental improvement constitutes a major issue concerning the sustainable economic and social development and the quality of people’s livelihood. The country is confronted with serious environmental pollution problems, with an increasingly degraded ecosystem and a weak capability of handling pollutants. Global environmental issues have become an international concern. China needs to enhance its capability in being involved in the global efforts for environmental change. Sustaining rapid economic growth under the prerequisite of overall environmental improvement imposes major strategic demands for innovation in environment science and technology.

Development paths: 1) Guiding and supporting the development of cyclic economy. Vigorously develop integrated clean production technologies for highly polluting industries, intensify the reduction of wastes and safe treatment of wastes, and strengthen the development of common technologies for the cyclic economy; 2) comprehensive control of regional environment. Conduct comprehensive control and treatment of water environment in drainage areas and regional atmospheric pollution, establish technical integration and demonstration for comprehensive control of typical ecologically degraded areas, and develop technologies for drinking water safety and pre-warning for ecological and environmental monitoring, so as to drastically increase the S&T capability for environmental quality improvement. 3) promoting the development of environmental protection industry. Priorities will be given to developing major environmental protection equipment and facilities in line with the country’s concrete conditions, securing more market share for domestic environmental protection products, and raising the technical level of environmental protection equipment. 4) Vigorously participate in international cooperation in the field of the environment. Strengthen research on response strategies in implementing the global environment convention and on scientific uncertainties of climate change and their implications, develop technologies for global environmental change watch and greenhouse gases emission reduction, and enhance the capability in responding to environmental changes and in implementing the international convention.
Priority topics:
(13) Comprehensive pollutant control and waste recycling

Priorities will be to develop pre-warning technologies for regional environmental quality monitoring; master key technologies for urban atmospheric pollution control, develop technologies for non-conventional pollutants, technologies for turning wastes into useful resources, and integration technologies for clean production in heavily polluting sectors; establish technical demonstration models for the cyclic economy.

(14) Functional restoration and reconstruction of ecosystems in ecologically vulnerable areas

Priorities will be given to developing dynamic monitoring technologies for typical vulnerable ecological areas, including Karst areas, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River and Yellow River, Loess Plateau, deserts and desertification lands, farming-grazing areas, and mining areas; developing technologies for pasture degradation and rodents control, and technologies for restoring and reconstruction of degraded ecosystems; developing ecological protection and restoration technologies for major engineering works such as the Three-Gorge Dam project and the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, and complex mining areas; establishing technical support models for restoring the functions of diverse ecosystems and maintaining the improvement; and establishing a comprehensive evaluation and technical assessment system for the functionality of ecosystems.

(15) Maritime ecological and environmental protection

Priorities will be given to developing technologies and equipment for marine ecological and environmental monitoring, strengthening the study of marine ecological and environmental protection, developing technologies for offshore ecological and environmental protection and repair, and sea emergency response and handling, and developing high-precision digital technologies for marine dynamic environment prediction.

(16) Global environmental change watch and response strategies

Priorities will be placed on developing technologies for accurate monitoring of large scale environmental changes, greenhouse gases emission control and utilization, including carbon dioxide and methane utilization in major industries, biological carbon fixation and carbon fixation engineering, climate change study, biodiversity protection, ozone layer protection, and sustainable organic pollutants control.

3. 
   Agriculture
   

Agriculture is the foundation of the national economy. Our country is increasingly constrained by natural resources, with its per capita arable land and water resources noticeably lower than the world average. The growing demand for major agricultural produces, including grains and cotton, and pressures of yield increase, increasing farmers’ income, and intensified competition of agricultural products will be a long standing phenomenon. China’s agricultural structure remains irrational, with a low industrialization level and low value-added agricultural products. The poor ecological and environmental conditions impose serious constraints on the sustainable agricultural development, coupled with thorny food and ecological safety problems. With the country’s basic situation and tough challenges it has to face, scientific and technological progress constitutes a fundamental approach through which major agricultural problems can be addressed. It includes raising the agricultural scientific and technological level, enhancing the diffusion of advanced appropriate technologies, alleviating the constraints of resources, improving comprehensive agricultural productivity in a sustainable manner, and accelerating the pace of agricultural modernization.

Development paths: 1) Transform conventional farming technologies through the introduction of high technologies so as to enhance comprehensive agricultural productivity in a sustainable manner. Priorities will be placed on carrying out research on applied biotechnology, strengthening the integration and compatibility of agricultural technologies, overcoming technological problems in crop breeding, efficient production, animal and aquatic breeding and production and diseases control, developing diversified compound agricultural operations, improving the quality of agricultural products, and sustaining yield increase. 2) Extend agricultural production chain in order to achieve an overall improvement of agriculture related industrialization and comprehensive agricultural returns. Priorities shall be given to developing technologies for precision and deep processing of agricultural produce, post-production loss reduction, and commercial applications of green supply chains. Developing advanced technology and equipment for food processing and food safety monitoring. Developing a food processing industry featured with healthy foods, and a modern circulation industry, and creating more room for increasing farmers’ income. 3) Develop technologies for comprehensive agricultural and forestry development while ensuring ecological safety. Priorities will be to develop technologies for environment friendly fertilizers and pesticides, precision farming operations, resources-oriented utilization of agricultural and forestry residues, comprehensive agricultural environment control, promote the development of new farming industries, and raise the ecological environment quality of agriculture and forestry. 4) Develop a factory-like agriculture in order to increase labor productivity of farming activities. Priorities will be given to developing farming facilities related technologies, including farming environment regulation and efficient crop cultivation with super high yield, developing modern farm machinery with multiple functions, and accelerating the integration and application of agriculture related information technology.