This Science and Technology Outline for Sustainable Development is hereby formulated to promote the implementation of the Revitalizing the Nation through Science and Education and Sustainable Development strategies and ensure the smooth realization of the goal to elevate China to the status of a moderately developed country by the middle of the 21^st century. This is necessitated by the 10^th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development (2001-2005) and a Special Plan for the Development of Science,Technology and Education during 2001-2005, a subset of the 10^th Five-Year plan, as well as major challenges in the areas of population, resource and environment that will confront China in the next decade.

This Outline is intended to guide science and technology work for sustainable development across the country.

1. Background

• 1.1 science and technology have become a strong driving force to facilitate sustainable development in countries around the world

Since the promulgation of Agenda 21 by the United Nations in 1992, nations around the world have taken actions to promote sustainable development. Indeed, it has become the common aspiration of the whole international community. In August 2002, the United Nations will hold the World Summit for Sustainable Development to further explore next steps to enhance sustainable development on a global basis. This is evidence of sustained interest on the part of the international community and governments of countries in the subject. To ensure coordinated development of humankind and nature, maintain the ecological balance, improve the living environment for human beings, ease pressure of population growth, and meet growing needs for socio-economic development in the 21st century, nations around the world are paying great attention to science and technology as a major means to achieve sustainable development.

Rapid advances in science and technology has played extremely important role in promoting the implementation of sustainable development strategy, particularly in the areas of information technology, biotechnology, new materials technology, new energy and renewable energy technology, advanced manufacturing technology, aerospace technology, oceanic technology and environmental technology, have provided effective means to ease resource shortages, curb environmental degradation, improve the human health condition, and, above all, achieve coordinated development of society, economy and environment.

In 1994, China formulated and adopted China’s Agenda 21: White Paper on China’s Population, Environment and Development in the 21st Century, the first country in the world to do so. Science and technology have played a pivotal role in carrying out China’s Agenda 21 and the sustainable development strategy. This is most amply demonstrated in the following areas:

• Advising government decision-making through forward-looking and strategic studies on key issues of population, resources and environment.
  
• Enhancing government capabilities for macroeconomic regulation through formulation of a series of technology policies
  
• Eliminating a series of technical bottlenecks that have impeded sustainable development in China
  
• Creating a new growth engine for the national economy with the commercialization of R&D results so that development of related industries has been facilitated
  
• Creating regional models for sustainable development
  
• Building a team of scientists and researchers for the cause of science and technology for sustainable development in China

1.2 Stronger science and technology support needed to tackle challenges in the area of sustainable development

In the next decade, China will face a host of severe challenges in its quest for sustainable development. It has to deal with long-standing problems related to population, resource and environment while coping with newly emerging problems in the course of development. A central task facing the country will be how to leverage science and technology to provide a stronger support and guarantee for sustainable development.

(1) Deep-rooted problems such as a huge population base, resource shortages and ecological degradation remain unresolved. People’s health and quality of life are threatened by an excessive quantity of population, aging and major diseases. Shortages of strategic resources such as oil and natural gas directly affect national security; the water resource crisis even threatens the future survival of the Chinese nation. Furthermore, in resource exploitation, problems such as underutilization, low efficiency, high energy consumption and irrational usage continue to persist. Ecological and environmental system is severely overloaded. Soil erosion and desertification continue unabated, and water, air and solid-waste pollution is aggravating. Biodiversity is shrinking rapidly and natural disasters occur frequently.

In the new century, China has moved beyond the goal of feeding and clothing its people and the country’s economy is transitioning to a market system. Great changes have taken place in the country’s society and economy, leading to a series of new problems and challenges. Science and technology are needed to address those problems and challenges.

(2) Economic globalization and the global environmental problem pose fresh challenges to China. China’s WTO accession will integrate the country more deeply into the global economy. This presents unique opportunities for China to readjust its economic structure and upgrade its technologies; at the same time, however, it will also expose the country’s traditional industries to severe competition and call into question the country’s environmental protection regime. Environmental issues are increasingly getting intertwined with global political, economic, trade and foreign affairs issues; they are gradually becoming an important factor affecting a nation’s long-term development. Likewise, they will have a profound and far-reaching impact on China’s sustainable development. This means China will implement its strategy of sustainable development in a much more complicated external environment and under more stringent external constraints. Only by vigorously promoting progress in science and technology can it be possible to overcome these constraints and ensure the smooth unfolding of the sustainable development strategy.
(3) A major impediment to sustainable development is a lack of technical innovation and an unsound system for innovation. Ultimately, international competition boils down to a race in science and technology, and innovation capability is at the core of that race. An underdevelopment of innovation capacity, especially primary innovation capacity, has become a major hindrance to the development of science and technology and the advancement of the cause of sustainable development in China. So it is an urgent task for China to strengthen technical innovation, establish a national sustainable development technical innovation system in order to promote the implementation of sustainable development strategy.

2. Guidelines and Objectives

The population, resource and environment work bears on the economic and social security of the country, on the improvement of the quality of life for Chinese people, and on the survival and development of the Chinese nation. Given its huge population base, short resources and fragile ecobalance, it will be a long-term and arduous task to realize sustainable development in China. It is essential to rely on progress in science and technology and integrate economic growth with work on the population, resource and environment front.

2.1 Guidelines

Science and technology for sustainable development should be guided by the “Three Represents” theory (i.e. the Chinese Communist Party must represent the most advanced productive force, the direction of the most advanced culture, and the interests of the overwhelming majority of the people), geared toward a resolution of major issues surrounding population, resource and environment. They should aim at improving the living standard for the people and be driven by technological and institutional innovation. Above all, they should provide strong technical support to sustainable development and promote the coordinated development of the economy, society and environment (i.e. Innovation and Coordinated Development Guideline).

2.2 Principles

Based on the above-mentioned guideline of innovation and coordinated development, China should plan its scientific and technological projects for sustainable development in accordance with the following principles:

• Integration of national objectives with market demand. We need to proceed from the objectives of the state in attempting to address major technological issues affecting sustainable development. The government should play a leading role in funding and macro-regulation; at the same time, all quarters of society should also be mobilized and market mechanisms employed to develop advanced, practical technologies to promote industrial development.
  
• Integration of master plan with region-specific guidelines. In line with different characteristics of different regions, we should, based on the master plan, also provide specific guidelines for different regions, and chose appropriate entry point to carry out suitable science and technology work for sustainable development to promote regional harmonized economic, social and environmental development.
  
• Integration of key technological breakthroughs with technology integration. China should pool resources to achieve breakthroughs in some key areas; based on that, it should improve integration of high technology with practical technology and improve problem-solving capacities.
  
• Integration of proprietary innovation with international cooperation. We should greatly boost our capacity for proprietary innovation while making full use of the global interest in sustainable development, actively acquiring, assimilating and absorbing advanced technologies from abroad and promoting international cooperation.
  

2.3 Objectives

China’s objectives for advancing science and technology for sustainable development by 2005 are:

• Having achieved a number of major technological breakthroughs in the areas of population, resource and environment and developed a preliminary capacity to solve major problems with proprietary technology
  
• Having built a number of model bases, model zones and experimental zones for sustainable development
  
• Having fostered new industries related to sustainable development
  
• Having created a pro-innovation system and boosted China’s innovation capabilities
  
• Having trained a high-caliber, rationally structured team of researchers and managers and bolstered technical support for decision-making for sustainable development

By 2010, China should have:

• Built a system for technological innovation compatible with needs for sustainable development
  
• Developed the capacity to tackle major technological problems hindering sustainable development with proprietary solutions
  
• Created and improved technical standards and an industrial technology system pertaining to sustainable development
  
• Formed a high-caliber, rationally structured team of researchers and managers
  
• Fully implemented the strategy of sustainable development, providing technical support to the realization of the strategic goal of turning China into a moderately developed country
  

3. Priority Goals and Areas

In anticipation of China’s socio-economic development over the next decade and its requirements for sustainable development, the science and technology program should focus on improvement of people’s quality of life and their own quality, rational development and exploitation of resources, construction and preservation of the ecological environment, and promotion of the environmental industry. To this end, research, technological development and other activities should be conducted to promote the coordinated development of the country’s economy, society, population, resources and environment.

3.1 Priority Goals

3.1.1 Intensify sustainable development research to support government decision-making.

We should conduct forward-looking and strategic studies on key issues such as population, resources and environment that are facing China over the next decade to advise central government decision-making. Studies should focus on relevant laws, regulations and policies as well as index systems for sustainable development; national and regional resource development, environmental protection, population and health; water resources, mineral resources and food security; and global environmental issues and ways to address those issues.

3.1.2 Concentrate on the R&D of a number of key technologies that are of major significance to sustainable development capacity-building.

We should pool our resources and develop proprietary technologies and systems in order to build up our technical support capacities for sustainable development and participate in international competition. Priority areas include reproductive health and birth control, major disease control, environment and health, food safety; exploitation and preservation of water resources, exploration, exploitation and recycling of mineral resources, new energy and clean energy; marine monitoring and forecasting, marine resource development and protection; environmental pollution monitoring and control, clean production, environmental cleanup; disaster monitoring and forecast, disaster prevention and alleviation; small-town building.

3.1.3 Strengthen Science and Technology Pilot Program in the area of Sustainable development and explore different paths of development.

Piloting should proceed at three different levels: regional development, community development, and science and technology comprehensive modeling. The model zones can be different regions with different ecological environments and resource types. Piloting should revolve around rational exploitation of resources and preservation of ecological environment in order to enhance the sustainability of the localities and guide locals to eradicate poverty. In addition, a number of typical, representative towns will also be selected as experimental zones at the national and local levels to pilot sustainable development, to explore paths for local sustainable development. We should seize the opportunity presented by the migration of the mode of economic growth and industrial restructuring to implement a comprehensive modeling program. That is, we will implement a series of programs to pilot and commercialize technologies pertaining to sustainable development.

3.1.4 Boost basic research to enhance science and technology capacity-building for sustainable development.

Steps to be taken in this direction include:

• Multi-disciplinary studies on major issues involving population, resource and environment
  
• Discipline-building regarding sustainable development
  
• Data collection regarding population and health, resource and environment, social security, urban construction; buildup of monitoring networks, databanks and related information systems; information sharing and utilization
  
• Collection, sorting and preservation of idioplasm resource and specimen
  
• Technical policy and standard development in the area of sustainable development
  
• Creation of engineering and technological research centers, key labs and R&D bases

3.1.5 Speed up the commercialization of R&D findings and promote the development of related industries.

• Promote industrial restructuring of sectors such as pharmaceuticals, health, resource, environmental and marine industries, step up application of R&D results, and transform traditional industries with high and practical technologies, and shift the mode of economic development from one of quantitative growth to another of qualitative and efficiency improvement;
  
• Focus on Chinese medicine, innovative pharmaceuticals, localization of environmental equipment, green agriculture, resource recycling industries, and the marine industry;
  
• Foster the development of a number of new industries.

3.1.6 Deepen reform of the science and technology regime and establish a sustainable, pro-innovation system.

We should further improve the scientific research system, the technological development system, and the service system, so that industry, the academic and researchers will join hands with each other and form an interactive pro-innovation mechanism between research institutes, universities, intermediary organizations, enterprises and the government. The administrative system for science and technology in the area of sustainable development should be further reformed according to the classifying reform principle so that existing resources will be integrated to facilitate development.

3.2 Priority Areas

3.2.1 Population control

• Conduct research and innovation in the area of population and family planning, in particular develop new-generation contraceptives for the rural population and increase the application and effectiveness of new technologies
  
• Develop high-level, serialized birth control drugs, tools and technologies and monitoring technology for birth control technology complications
  
• Develop pre-natal screening and diagnostic technology for birth defects and child-rearing technology to enhance the quality of life for children
  

3.2.2 Health care/prevention and treatment of major diseases

• Develop preventive and therapeutic technology for major diseases such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, malignant tumors, diabetes, and infectious diseases
  
• Develop key technologies for pharmacy, new agents and related standards and create technology platforms for R&D of new drugs, speed up new drugs innovation development with self owned intellectual property
  
• Improve the quality of Chinese medicine and accelerate the modernization and internationalization of Chinese medicine
  
• Develop commonly used and major medical equipment and interventional tools
  
• Conduct studies on the status of pollution of interferents to environmental endocrine and its impact on health
  
• Study the impact of long-time, low-density exposure to organisms and develop new technology to control organic pollution
  
• Control in-door air pollution of toxic substances

3.2.3 Food safety

• Conduct food monitoring and assessment studies and develop WTO-consistent measures
  
• Develop pesticide and veterinary drug residue testing methods and technology and fast testing technology for biological toxics and common toxics
  
• Develop a food safety standard system for major chemical pollutants and disease-inducing microorganisms and a safety testing and early-warning system for food imports and exports
  
• Develop an HACCP implementation guide compatible with China’s national conditions
  
• Implement a number of comprehensive pilot projects in order to build a technical system for ensuring food safety
  

3.2.4 Water resource security

• Study rational allocation, preservation, regulation and administration of water resources
  
• Conduct strategic and key-technology studies for major water-diversion projects
  
• Provide strong technical support for: ensuring the country’s water-resource security by developing technologies for security and supply of safe drinking water, industrial and agricultural water saving, airborne artificial regulation of water resources, waste water recycling, rainfall utilization, polluted water restore technology
  

3.2.5 Security of oil and natural gas resources

• Conduct oil and natural gas resource evaluation studies
  
• In order to ensure the country’s oil and natural gas security, we should provide strong technology support by developing technologies for: high-precision comprehensive evaluation and evaluation of complicated oilfields, identification of hidden oil and gas reserves, well-measuring for heterogeneous complicated oil and gas reserves, top-quality, high-efficiency drilling, output stabilization at large oilfields, development of thick-oil reserves and low-permeability oil reserves, natural gas development and coal seam gas development
  

3.2.6 Security of strategic mineral resources

• Study and assess the degree of security of solid mineral resources
  
• Develop technology for the prospecting and evaluation of mineral resources
  
• Develop mining technology and equipment for deep-buried and complicated mines
  
• Develop technology and equipment for the effective utilization of low-lying and difficult-to-choose metallurgical mines
  
• Develop technology for comprehensive utilization of large mineral resource base and strength mineral resources
  
• Develop reinforced smelting technology with low pollution, low energy consumption and short process
  
• Develop manufacturing and storage technology for high value-added products
  
• Develop technology for recycling solid wastes shed from mines and environmental protection technology
  
• Develop technology for high-efficiency utilization of non-metallurgical mines
  
• Develop technology and equipment for high-efficiency coal production and coal-dressing
  
• Develop technology for comprehensive utilization and intensive processing of salt lake resources
  
• Ensure the supply of mineral resources to the national economy and improve the efficiency of resource exploitation
  

3.2.7 Marine monitoring and resource exploitation

• Improve the exploitation of maritime resources and the preservation of maritime environment and promoting marine economic development by developing: marine environment monitoring technology, marine environment forecast technology, marine information technology, maritime biological technology, marine aquacultural technology, technology to develop and utilize maritime active substance, desalination of sea water, direct utilization of sea water and maritime chemical resources, development of near-shore shoals, high-efficiency exploration and development of offshore oil and gas, exploration and development of deep-sea resources, cleanup and development technology for river mouths and coastlines, marine engineering, technology, marine installation monitoring and repair technology and marine environmental protection technology
  

3.2.8 Clean energy and renewable energy

• Develop advanced and applicable technology for clean coal use
  
• Develop fuel battery technology
  
• Develop technology to build small hydropower stations for rural areas, accelerate the technological upgrading for biomass energy utilization
  
• Develop technology to utilize methane, solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy and tidal wave energy
  
• Achieve breakthrough in the extraction, storage and utilization of hydrogen energy
  

3.2.9 Environmental pollution control and integrated ecological reclamation

• Develop technology and equipment to monitor the discharge of major pollutants
  
• Develop technology to monitor the discharge of special pollutants
  
• Develop technology and equipment for de sulfurization of smoke and gas, develop technology for motorized vehicle pollution control
  
• Develop complete sets of technology and equipment for urban waste water treatment
  
• Develop technology and equipment for urban refuse treatment, disposal and recycling
  
• Develop technology to treat and dispose of special dangerous wastes and used household appliances
  
• Develop technology for low-energy consumption, high-performance and environmentally-friendly material
  
• Develop clean-production technology for the chemical, metallurgical and light industries
  
• Conduct ecological environment monitoring technology study and ecosystem evaluation study
  
• Develop technologies for soil preservation, sandstorm control, reclamation of polluted soil, integrated reclamation of ecologically fragile regions, and the reclamation of mines
  
• Develop technology to prevent biological invasion
  
• Provide technical support to environmental preservation and promote the development of the environmental industry
  

3.2.10 Disaster alleviation and prevention

• Develop new technology and instruments/equipment to monitor natural calamities and increase the application of high technology in the area of disaster monitoring, further improve natural disaster monitoring system
  
• Develop a new generation of forecasting technology and increase the accuracy and timeliness of disaster forecasting
  
• Develop emergency management technology for natural disasters and build an information system to support decision-making
  
• Study ways of safety checks and risk assessment for urban infrastructures
  
• Develop emergency disposal and rescue technology for man-made disasters such as fires, chemical leakage of hazardous goods, major poisoning and industrial accidents
  
• Develop technologies to test, monitor and control major sources of hazard, and technology to ensure the safety of urban “lifelines”
  
• Develop complete sets of disaster-relief technologies and equipment and enhance China’s technological level in disaster control and relief
  
• Build a comprehensive risk assessment technical system and a technical system for rapid assessment and emergency management
  
• Improve piloting programs for disaster alleviation
  

3.2.11 Urban and small-town construction

• Develop key technologies needed for the development of urban infrastructures
  
• Develop key technologies needed for small-town construction
  
• Develop technologies for the optimal operation of urban infrastructures, information technology for services and management of urban facilities, optimal management of small-town infrastructures
  

3.2.12 Global environment issues

• Assess the impact of international conventions on global climate change, biodiversity and ozone layer protection on China’s socio-economic development, conduct research into major scientific issues, improve basic research and propose measures and policies for compliance with those international conventions, study future trends of related sectors of the Chinese economy, China’s industrial structure and propose policy measures to improve them
  

4. Support Conditions and Measures

4.1 Improve leadership, reinforce the implementation of the Outline, and pool resources to push for the advancement of science and technology for sustainable development

First, local governments and central government departments must further enhance their awareness of sustainable development and the role of science and technology in promoting sustainable development, and attach great importance to the science and technology work for that. They should follow up with implementation of the Outline and clarify what government agency they report to regarding this. Inter-agency coordination should be improved and services bettered. An index system should be established to measure work in this field and review performance of leading officials at all levels in promoting sustainable development.

Second, to promote the implementation of the Outline, the Ministry of Science and Technology will formulate relevant plans to implement a number of major projects. Localities should formulate their own plans to promote sustainable development in line with the basic requirements and objectives of this Outline and taking into account local conditions. Furthermore, they should incorporate those plans into local science and technology plans and socio-economic development plans. All central government departments should, in line with characteristics of their own industry, formulate their own plans for sustainable development.

Third, local governments and central government departments should establish different levels of expert advisory bodies to advise the drafting of socio-economic plans and construction of major engineering projects. Inter-disciplinary consulting should also be required for the R&D of new technology and the promotion and application of imported technology. Ultimately, a scientific and integrated decision-making mechanism should be created for the sustainable development of all the sectors.

4.2 Create an effective safeguard mechanism and increase spending on science and technology for sustainable development

First, government input is the primary source of funding for science and technology related to sustainable development. In particular, for projects that have a long-term bearing on local development, government should spend as much as they can. While increasing spending on science and technology in general, governments at all levels they should also increase the share of spending on sustainable development. They should set up special funds to finance science and technology projects for sustainable development.

Second, science and technology should be more closely integrated with the banking and capital market. Governments at all levels, while implementing projects, should attract capital to flow into projects that seek to commercialize research findings. A venture capital investment mechanism should be created as the earliest date possible and a venture capital fund should also be set up at an appropriate time.

Third, new operational mechanisms should also be pioneered to raise money from a multitude of sources, in particular from the private sector and the business community.

4.3 Create a sound environment and train talents to satisfy different needs

First, we should create a fair and open academic environment and a cooperative yet competitive mechanism to facilitate the training of talents for different disciplines. Top talents, particularly young ones, should be given the opportunity to stand out through the implementation of major research projects. Emphasis should be placed on the training of talents for technological innovation, scientific research, entrepreneurs of science and technology companies, business management and intermediary service.

Second, effective measures should be taken to encourage and attract overseas talents to return to China to work or contribute to China’s economic development in other forms. They policy should be: “support studying abroad, encourage returning home, and freedom of movement in and out of the country.”

Third, multiple forms of training centers should be established on the basis of existing educational system and mass media to provide educational, training and awareness services, in order to raise public awareness of sustainable development.

4.4 Deepen reform of the science and research regime and create a pro-innovation system for sustainable development

Reform of existing research institutes related to sustainable development should be advanced in an active and prudent manner, in line with the guidelines and overall plan of the central government for the entire scientific and technological sector. Over time, a crop of highly efficient and innovative research institutes and researchers that are adept at the market economy will have emerged. During the next five years, reform of non-profit research institutes should be accelerated and expanded and spending in them increased. In addition, construction and management of basic facilities such as engineering technology research centers, major labs and monitoring stations should be improved. Finally, great efforts should be devoted to the development of consulting services to form a new industry.

4.5 Build a highly efficient and coordinated regulatory and supervisory system

First, central government departments and local governments should be fully mobilized and positions of different departments, local governments and industries integrated and coordinated. That way, R&D will be organically integrated with promotions, technical upgrading at enterprises, construction of major projects, and the acquisition, assimilation and absorption of major technologies. Eventually, a four-tiered, interconnected regulatory system consisting of the state, central government departments, local governments and enterprises will have been established.

Second, we should create an “open, fluid, competitive and collaborative” operational mechanism and uphold the principles of “openness, fairness and impartiality”, opening major projects to public bidding. The fund management system for state-planned projects should be reformed, and a research-subject system should be fully implemented. In addition, a scientific evaluation system should be established and independent intermediary evaluation agencies should be supported, so that a credit system can be established for undertakers of research projects. Ultimately, all the research projects will be administered in a scientific, institutionalized and rules-based manner.

4.6 Expand opening to the outside world and improve international cooperation

Sustainable development has become a major cause of universal concern to the international community. We should seize this opportunity and, through extensive publicity, expand our channels of cooperation with the international community, seek international aid, attract foreign investment, and advance science and technology for sustainable development.

China should actively participate in all global and regional international programs in the area of resource and environment and keep a seat in these international forums.