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No.242

　
 
 


CHINA  SCIENCE  AND  TECHNOLOGY
NEWSLETTER
The Ministry of Science and Technology
People's Republic of China



N0.242 November 30,2000
　
IN THIS ISSUE
    * China's World Advanced Optical Telecommunication
    * China's Disaster Monitoring Network
    * Two S&T Agreements between China and Japan
    * Turf Agent for Greening Deserts
    * China's First Navigation Satellite
    * CAS' Nanometer S&T Center
    * 2000' Chinese Post-doctorate Academic Conference 
    * 13,100 Chinese Post-doctorates

 
SPECIAL    ISSUES
China's World Advanced Optical Telecommunication

China has witnessed a sustained high growth of its IT industry since the 1990s with its current optical telecommunication network reaching the internationally advanced level whether in terms of its scale or its facilities and technological applications. China's optical telecommunication sector has basically become an area enjoying a level closest to the world first rate in the field of high technologies.

As far as the scale of China's optical telecommunication network is concerned, the domestic long distance trunk line network made of the socalled "eight vertical and eight horizontal routes" has applauded for its completion ahead of time schedule, which makes China in the world leading position in the context of its optical network scale. On the said basis, China Telecom and China Unicom have developed a number of other related optical trunk networks such as China's 320G high speed nationwide network, national intelligent main trunk network, transmission trunk network for China's cable TV broadcasting, DWDM transmission network linking Guangzhou and Shenzhen and etc. The last two years have seen China's headingfor overseas optical telecommunication market and landed a number of contracts such as the national intelligent optical network of Kenya, national telecommunication transmission network of Yemen, GSM network of Laos and trunk transmission network of Russian Baliansk. By the end of August 2000, Huawei alone has sold out 35,000 sets of optical telecommunication equipment and facilities on a cumulative basis, which makes it not only the largest optical telecommunication facilities manufacturer in the country but also one of the major optical facilities providers in the world with its optical products exported to Russia, Ukraine, Brazil, Columbia, Korea, Yemen and Hong Kong.

Chinese telecommunication facilities manufacturers headed by Julong, Datang, Zhongxing and Huawei emerged in the 1990s have possessed numerous internationally advanced key optical telecommunication technologies of their own independent intellectual property rights such as urban area platform, ASIC chips, optical components and modules, series digital transmission chips and software algorithm. These technologies and products have made China one of the few countries in the world who are able to provide the comprehensive solutions to the optical telecommunication network. It is worth noting that BWS series and 320 GDWDM recently developed by Huawei have realized the transmission of 3.9 million pairs of telephonecalls on a single optical fiber, which has made China's optical telecommunication step onto a new height and has opened a fine beginning for the development of next generation optical telecommunication technology.

China's Disaster Monitoring Network

As disclosed not long ago by Chinese Committee on International Disasters Alleviation, China has established a nation wide pre-warning system for monitoring, analyzing and predicting hydrological, meteorological, marine, biological and seismological disasters.

As briefed by Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, 2,600 and more weather stations under the jurisdiction of China Meteorological Administration and its subordinated regional and provincial meteorological centers have constituted the nation wide weather disaster monitoring and forecasting system, integrated with advanced technologies such as computer based real time operational system, satellite image receiving and processing system, digital weather radar and VHF telephone system. The seismological monitoring network consisting of 900 and odd stations of multiple or individual monitoring functions and the establishment of the fast responding system for precursory signs of extensive earthquakes and regional network of remote seismological sounding have improved the monitoring and predicting capacity of China's major earthquake monitoring system and shortened its response to the seismological information. In addition, the existing 3500 hydraulic stations and 1300 water level stations in the country have been equipped with real time data collection, transmission and processing system and computer based flood forecast and control system.

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

 Two S&T Agreements between China and Japan

On October 16, 2000, the Agreement on the Implementation of Studies of the Formation and Transmission Mechanism of Wind-sent Sands and Dusts and Their Impactson Climate and Environment was signed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Japanese Department of Science and Technology. Earlier that day, CAS had also signed with Japanese Association for Academic Development the Outlines on the Implementation of Exchanges and Cooperation in the Fields of Plasma and Nuclear Fusion between the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Japanese Association for Academic Development. These have constituted a solid step for the further S&T cooperation between China and Japan.

The Agreement on Sand and Dust Weather Studies will be implemented in a timeframe of 5 years. The experts of both nations will through the analysis assess the formation and transmission of sand and dust and their impacts on climate and develop sand and dust prewarning and prediction models so as to provide scientific evidence for the local disasters prevention and preparedness, desertification control, utilization of national land resources and the west development. The joint studies will also render its contribution to other international research programs such as Global Atmospheric Chemistry Program and Experiment on Aerosol Properties in Asia. The Outlines on the Implementation of Exchanges and Cooperation in the Fields of Plasma and Nuclear Fusion between the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Japanese Association for Academic Development will also be phased for its implementation in 5 years. It will mainly deal with the improvement of the properties of reactor core plasma, the interaction between plasma and the first wall, plasma atoms-molecule process, inertia confining of nuclear fusion, fusionengineering, theoretical and numerical simulation of plasma and the industrial applications of plasma. The outlines will gather together the strong S&T expertise of both nations to promote the studies of nuclear fusion process and develop new clean energies for the mankind.

Strengthened China-German S&T Cooperation

The Research and Exchange Center of China-German Scientific Foundation co-financed by both nations announced its formal operation on October 19, 2000, which earmarked the strengthened S&T cooperation and exchanges between the two nations. Co-established by Chinese National Natural Science Foundation and DFG, the Center will serve to promote the cooperation and exchanges in the field of natural sciences and basic studies in both countries and to establish long termstable cooperative ties among the scientists of two countries. It is reported that during the opening session of the Center, week-long China-German academic exchange activities including bilateral discussions on sophisticated scientific issues and China-German Scientific Cooperation Exhibition will be held in Beijing.

Turf Agent for Greening Deserts

Turf agent, a major result of China-Japan collaborative studies on turf agent for greening deserts has recently applauded for its success at Xinjiang Ecological and Geological Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Sciences and been granted with national patent right. It is briefed by Wang Zhouqiong, a research fellow chaired the studies that turf agent is of four major effects on greening the desert: improving the moisture content of sandy areas and ensuring the survival and normal growth of sandy plants by taking the advantage of the water secured in this manner; changing the soil properties to such an extent that it improves soil composition, interpenetration and root environment, creating better conditions for the nutrition absorption and growth of the plants; stimulating the growth of plants and increasing the yield by several times; and improving the survival of sandy plants to 80% and more.

It is reported that at present stage China has an arid and dry area of 4.55 million square kilometers, 47% of China's territories. Of the 1.6 million square kilometersland under the jurisdiction of Xinjiang Autonomous Region, the arid and dry areas have taken aproportion of 88.7%. These areas are facing the threat of water shortage and desertification. China is rich in turf resources with a reserve of 4.86 billiontons. Xinjiang's chemical fertilizer input in the new oasis has reached 74.7% of the total input for the nutritional purpose.

NEWS BRIEFS
China's First Navigation Satellite

The Plough, the first Chinese made navigation satellite was successfully sent by Long March 3A into the prescribed orbit from Xichang Satellite Launching Center at 00: 02 on October 31, 2000.

The Plough is a regional navigation system providing around-clock and all weather satellite based navigation information. The system will play a positive role promoting the national economic development through providing navigation services for highway, railway and off-shore drilling. Developed by the Institute of Space Technology subordinated to China Space S&T Group, the Plough successfully launched has laid a foundation for the future development of the Plough Navigation System. The satellite was sent into the space by Long March 3A, which was its 63rd flight.

CAS' Nanometer S&T Center

Chinese Academy of Sciences announced on October 30, 2000 that it would establish a Nanometer S&T Center so as to improve China's research capacity, industrialization and international competitiveness in the area. It is briefed that made up of nanometer research entities and nanometer S&T websites, the Center will, inaccordance with major national and CAS' research programs in the field, work on resources sharing of S&T information, software and facilities through nanometer related websites and research entities, enhancing the roles of S&T research links, industrial links, talents links and facility links and securing the exchanges and communications among different disciplines.

www.casnano.net.cn was opened on the same day. Bai Chunli, Vice President of CAS and Director of the Center said that the Center would through computer based network promote the technological exchanges and cooperation between CAS and domestic nanometer experts, providing technical consultation and services for research institutions, management authorities and high tech industries, strengthening the links between research institutions and enterprises and promoting the industrialization of nanometer related S&T results. In the meanwhile, CAS will invest RMB 25 million in implementing the project of Nanometer Science and Technology,a knowledge based innovation project.

Major Discoveries for China's Tibet Glacier Expedition

As disclosed by China Puruogangri Glacier Expedition Team, the expedition team literally drilled through the Puruogangri Glacier on October 11, 2000, recording a drilling depth of 118.55 meters. The said ice core had been safely shipped to Naqu on October 19 for conservation. It is reported that the said ice core drilling has brought about many results. For example, the said ice core may help people to trace back the climate environment variations occuring 20,000 years ago. The base of the ice core is brown in color, unprecedented in the past. Taking into account the fact that all the information saved in the glacier is the reflection of the then climate variations, the unique brown color based the ice core will reveal the unique climate environment variations in the region. The scientists of the expedition team also pointed out that the Glacier they were investigating was shrinking at an accelerated speed.

Nature Publishes Chinese Polar Study Results UK based Nature has recently published a paper titled Quantitative Record of Penguins in Three Thousand Years by Polar Study Group of Chinese S&T University on the quantitative variations of penguins located over Antarctic Adelei in the past 3000 years. This is the first Chinese polar study findings published by Nature.

As briefed by expert concerned, the Antarctic has accurately recorded the historical information about the global environment changes. Before men stepped on the soil of this mysterious land, penguins had been the largest living creature communities on the continent, which made penguin family an important information carrier for the studies of environment changes. Using a brand new researching approach, the polar study group of Chinese S&T University studied lake sediment sample of 67.5 cm in length collected from Antarctic Adelei and for the first time in the world inferred the possible four major fluctuations on penguin quantity in the last 3000 years with the peak stage occuring years earlier from 1400-1800 from today and a drastic decline 1800 to 2300 years from now. The finding shown that the climate changes over the Antarctic had led to the drastic changes of penguin quantity without anthropogenic interference.
　
It is reported that the socalled penguin archeology can be used to conduct in-depth studies of the variations of different living creatures, food links, penguin reproduction in different historical stages in the Antarctic biosphere, which is of great significance in understanding the Antarctic continental ecology, climate and environment changes and exploring the relationship between the Antarctic environment variations and global changes.

2000' Chinese Post-doctorate Academic Conference

2000' Chinese Post-doctorate Academic Conference opened on October 20, 2000 in Beijing. 2000 and odd participants from S&T and education communities have had discussions with post-doctorate representatives on 11 topics such as economy and management, sustainable development, medicine and bioengineering, computer and in formation technology and new energy. Mr. Li Zhengdao, the renowned physicist and a Nobel Prize winner made the keynote speech on Challenges for Physics. The Conference has received 1200 and more papers, of which 100 and more were rated as fine papers and collected by Chinese renowned presses and journals. At the Conference, 10 people were granted with Excellent Post Doctorate Prize for 2000.　

13,100 Chinese Post-doctorates

China has since the establishment of its post doctorate system enrolled 13,100 post doctorate research fellows on a cumulative basis in a period of 15 years. Up to date, China has seen 798 post doctorate mobile stations established in 280 universities and research institutions subordinated to 47 governmental agencies or to 15 provinces or municipalities respectively and 137 similar stations created by some industrial enterqrises. The post doctorate system has promoted the mobility of talented people, the academic exchanges and the development of disciplinary cross section and cutting edge studies. And it has accelerated the spin-off of S&T results and created remarkable social and economic benefits. In the meanwhile,
a great number of high level young scientists and new academic leaders have been nurtured.

       Comments or inquiries on editorial matters or Newsletter content should be directed to:Mr. Dong Jianlong, Department of International Cooperation, MOST 15B, Fuxing Road Beijing 100862, PR China  Tel: (8610)68512650 Fax: (8610) 68512594, or Mr. Wang Jianping, Editor,NEWSLETTER, 15 Fuxing Road Beijing 100038, PR China, Tel:(8610) 68515544 Ext. 2580

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