China aims world technological power

17  January 2013

BEIJING — China aims to become a world technological power by 2049 and strives to be a leading nation in innovation and scientific development, according to a government document released on Sunday.

The document, released by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, or the Cabinet, namely opinions on “deepening technological system reform and accelerating national innovation system construction,” sets the goal for the country to be “in the ranks of innovative nations” by 2020.

The document urged efforts to deepen the reform of scientific and technological system and step up the building of a national innovative system so to lay a foundation for the country to become a technological power when celebrating the centennial anniversary of New China in 2049.

China’s R&D funds nationwide should reach 2.2 percent of GDP during the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015) period, and more than 2.5 percent by 2020, it said.

The average R&D input for large- and medium-sized industrial enterprises should increase to 1.5 percent of their revenues during 2011-2015 period, the document said.

For every 10,000 employees, there should be at least 43 R&D personnel each year, it said.

The development of strategic emerging industries, such as energy preservation and environmental protection, new-generation information technology, biology, advanced equipment manufacturing, new energy and material as well as green vehicles, should be accelerated, it said.

The gross value added of the strategic emerging industries should make up about 8 percent of GDP by 2015 and 15 percent of GDP by 2020, the document said.

The nation planned to nurture several leading assemblages of innovative companies and small and medium-sized technological enterprises during 2011-2015 period, it said.

The systemic reform of the scientific research institutes and institutions of higher education will also be deepened in the period to strengthen their ability to innovate and improve their services, the document said.

The construction of potential first rate scientific research institutes and universities will be facilitated in the five-year period, it said.

It also encouraged the scientific research institutes and universities to cooperate with key companies of industries on setting up platforms for R&D and forging federations for technological innovation.

The support for the innovative activities of the non-state companies should be expanded and the fiscal and financial support for the small and medium-sized companies and micro-businesses would be increased, according to the document.

Major breakthroughs of key technologies should be materialized in sectors including electronic information, energy and environment protection, biological medicine and advanced manufacturing, it said.

And technological innovation should be made in industries that were related to people’s livelihoods, such as health, food and drug safety, and disaster relief, the document said.

It called for an enhanced system to intergrade the technologies for military use and those for civilian purposes.

The document said the nation’s technological plan would be more open to the outside world in terms of cooperation, and international academic institutions and multinational companies would be encouraged to set up R&D centers.