China to take on challenge of scientific, technological innovation
This was declared by President Hu and Premier Wen who have promised more funding. However, scientists have noted that research calls for real personal freedom and less bureaucratic control.
Beijing (AsiaNews/SCMP) China's authorities want to increase funding for scientific and technological research and to take the country to the forefront of modernization within 15 years. This desire was expressed by leaders in the fourth national conference for science and technology, which was held from 9 to 11 January by the Central committee of the Communist Party and the State Council.
Addressing the opening of the meeting, President Hu Jintao said: "Technological advancement has become the focus of international competition and the key to a country's modernization drive" and hence, it is a main objective. But China, despite successes like sending men into space and increasing grain production, has not yet reached the level of scientific research and technological innovation of more developed countries.
Premier Wen Jiabao said the government will pump more funds into scientific and technological research than those stipulated in the 11th Five-Year Plan.
All decisions will be taken by the National People's Assembly in March when it approves details of this Plan, already outlined months ago by the Communist Party Plenum. "Intellectual property rights" will be "strictly protected" and preferential taxation policies will be introduced to encourage enterprises to increase spending on research and development.
The leaders also underlined the need linked to research of finding a new development model which requires less use of energy, natural resources and cheap labour.
More than 1,000 officials, scientists and technicians took part in the Conference. The last such gathering took place 11 years ago and was presided over by the then president Jiang Zemin. Scientific and technical development is among the "4 modernizations" of Deng Xiaoping but so far it has been neglected compared to the impulsive boost given to the country's economic and trade development.
Scientists, although happy with the importance given their work and about the promise of more funding, have noted that innovations do not prosper without social and ideological freedom, equal competition, open communication and less bureaucracy. Cai Decheng , a well-known researcher in the scientific sector, said: "The radical key to technical development and innovation in China is change of the social management system and ideological structure to really allow individual freedom. What China really needs now is a change of mentality, rather than policies and financial incentives."
China's scientific community, warned Jiang Gaoming, chief researcher at the Institute of Botany at the China Academy of Sciences, must stop copying the west and start producing its own development theories and models.
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20/08/2004
14/06/2018 15:56
