China Systematically Developing New Technologies

newsblaze writes "China, having recognized there are major gaps in its science and technology arsenal, released their Technology Development Plans. The plans cover five main areas — geology, mechanical engineering, metallurgical engineering and aeronautical engineering. Three areas are prioritized in space technology and six major goals are announced. All this comes after having first set out their 100 Year Vision of Greatness. They appear to be giving themselves a breathing space, telling the world they are interested in cooperation and also giving themselves a major target, in much the same way as John F Kennedy did for the USA."

Comments

What's the fourth main area?

[eggsurplus]

The plans cover five main areas -- geology, mechanical engineering, metallurgical engineering and aeronautical engineering

Re:What's the fourth main area?

[treeves]

Steganography.

Re:What's the fourth main area?

[cybermage]

ruthless efficiency?

Re:What's the fourth main area?

[Marxist Hacker 42]

Ecconomic Warfare of course.

This is just a shot fired across the bow of globalization. But since the globalists are all worshipers of Mao, this resurgence of national identity for China will go unnoticed.

Re:What's the fourth main area?

[ZombieRoboNinja]

Surprise?

Re:What's the fourth main area?

[sentientbeing]

and an almost fanatical devotion to the pope.. I mean party.

Re:What's the fourth main area?

[happyemoticon]

THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!

Re:What's the fourth main area?

[Traa]

Suplies?

Cultural differences

[lawpoop]

The fact that China is pursuing a 100-year plan for greatness underscores the difference between American and Chinese culture, and shows why American culture is superior. Why bother planning for the next 100 years when the rapture is immanent? Instead, they should be teaching the Bible in schools like we do here, so that they might be saved when Jesus returns.

this is all well and nice but

[xlurker]

it would be nicer if they also started investing more interest in human rights, democratic ideals, freedom of speech, free press, no censorship, political pluralism, open competition of ideas and on and on and on.

Science is a system and culture based on open discourse, accountability and merit. A culture that strives for good science should also honour these values in itself.

Re:this is all well and nice but

[192939495969798999]

Forget China, I'd like to see the USA start "investing more interest in human rights, democratic ideals, freedom of speech, free press, no censorship, political pluralism, open competition of ideas and on and on and on!"

Re:this is all well and nice but

[Brandybuck]

Yes. Once they get those, then the progress will follow. Science and technology doesn't happen in a vacumn, it happens in an environment where men are free to engage in intellectual curiosity.

This program recalls to mind China's earlier experiment with statist progress. "The Great Leap Forward" was an unmitigated disaster.

Re:this is all well and nice but

[lawpoop]

"We, in the USA, lock up our criminals, not our politically undesireable."

Every society defines its own crime. The "political undesirable" were criminals, in Soviet Russia. What is wrong with American society that we have so many criminals? Are there more criminals, or more *crimes* -- behaviors that in the past did not result in imprisonment, but now do?

Are things really getting worse on the street, or are three-strikes laws and 0-tolerance drug policies for non-violent offenders locking up people who are otherwise productive members of society?

This CS Monitor article says that we now lead the world in incarceration: "More than 5.6 million Americans are in prison or have served time there, according to a new report by the Justice Department released Sunday. That's 1 in 37 adults living in the United States, the highest incarceration level in the world."

" We don't send entire families to gulags. We don't execute or exile our Jews, gays, and minorities. Were exiles (internal) counted in your prison figures? I bet not."

You know what? You might be right. We might not actually have worse incarceration rates than Soviet Russia. But I'm sick of not being the worst. I believe that America is the greatest country on Earth. I think we should have the lowest incarceration rate in the world, right now, not just lower than Soviet Russia.

This ABC article says that "The United States has incarcerated 726 people per 100,000 of its population, seven to 10 times as many as most other democracies. The rate for England is 142 per 100,000, for France 91 and for Japan 58. " Why are we getting beaten by Japan, France, and England? Why aren't we on top?

Re:It's easier when you have a target

[qwijibo]

It worked well for Japan and the auto industry. They started with making inferior copies cheaply, figured out how to improve the quality without substantially increasing the cost, and now American manufacturers are second rate.

Though, there have been some impressive contributions to the crypto community from chinese researchers recently. They're already ahead of the curve in some fields.

stealth technology

[cyfer2000]

Apparently. But most people simply couldn't see it.

We can all breathe easier

[Volatile_Memory]

If you can't trust the Red Chinese, who can you trust? Besides, they don't plan to crush us for 100 years! That's like 700 in dog-years.

v.m

The fifth one gets revealed next season

[wiredog]

After the Dylan song finishes playing.

You can't impose liberty. You grow it.

[Colin Smith]

human rights, democratic ideals, freedom of speech, free press, no censorship, political pluralism, open competition of ideas and on and on and on. These things will all come with a middle class who demand them. You have to build that middle class up first. This is what a lot of people don't get. It's the middle class, who are financially independent, not the working class who demand change. Funnily enough, it's money which allows freedom to flourish.

Re:You can't impose liberty. You grow it.

[tempestdata]

I disagree. I'm not saying you're wrong, but from what I've seen (yes its my subjective view point) financial wealth breeds apathy. I've seen this in more than one country and more than one society. The middle class and the rich by definition have something to loose. They are the last people to want any kind of uncertainty and change always brings uncertainty. The middle class and the rich would only throw their weight in to help the poor if they themselves had something to loose by not doing so. America is a great example of apathy due to financial wealth. I read this somewhere, (I cant remember where, so cant attribute it correctly, but I wont take credit for it) "The Chinese government has basically made a deal with its people, let it retain its place of power and in return it will bring them financial wealth". That is exactly what has been happening in China. People have been trading freedom for prosperity. There are thousands of protests in China each year, but its not the middle class and the rich protesting.. it's the poor who haven't benefited from China's prosperity.

Re:You can't impose liberty. You grow it.

[be-fan]

The poor have never contributed anything to any society, and they never will. The poor are the biggest danger to democracy, precisely because they have nothing to lose. They are easily appeased by corrupt governments that will give them temporary handouts by taking away from more productive elements of society. I don't disagree that the upper classes in wealthy countries can get apathetic, but at the same time there are very few examples of truely free societies which are not dominated by the interests of the middle and upper class.

Name a single society in history where the lower classes were the driving force for democracy? The democratic revolutions in the West (the United States, Britain, France) were driven by the interests of the commercial elite. Now, list the countries where corrupt governments came to power by making empty promises to the poor, who were only too happy to believe whatever they heard? Latin America, South-East Asia, and Africa are full of examples.

Watch out USA!

[bogaboga]

Like it or not, believe it or not, at the present pace, the Peoples' Republic of China will wield more power and influence as compared to all other major powers including the USA within two decades.

Let's look at some of the facts here:

1: They, (the Chinese), are responsible for keeping our currency (the dollar) afloat since they are holding a good chunk of our debt.

2: They are the world's greatest manufacturer now and are not about to stop.

3: They produce most scientists and engineers than all major powers combined.

4: Because of the above, they managed to shoot a satellite from orbit. The US and Russia thought they were the only ones capable of this.

5: They keep low, just like the Russians, and are planning to manufacture their own [wide body] passenger planes.

6: The USA is helping China in a way because its leaders and government are running massive deficits and on top of this, spending huge amounts of cash on munitions, creating no value at all.

Guys, the red dragon is rising and we cannot stop it!

Re:Watch out USA!

[NeutronCowboy]

1: Check, though a bit oversimplified. The Chinese can't just dump their reserves out, because the impact on the world will be too drastic. They're in a better position than the US, but can't really take advantage of it.
2: If by greatest, you mean largest by volume, then check.
3: No. And please define "all major powers". If you say it's the US and a smattering of European countries, I'd be tempted to agree. Though that's like bragging that the US got more gold medals at the Olympics than Luxembourg - misleading, not to mention irrelevant.
4: Wrong. They shot down a satellite to demonstrate they were able and willing to do so. Any country with ICBMs can achieve this, it's just that most are a bit more concerned than China about creating a huge mass of space junk.
5: China keeps low? That's news to Taiwan, the US, Japan, Tibet, and pretty much the whole world. I'd also assume that China would take offense to being compared in any way to Russia. Russia is a two-bit thug on the world stage, while China plans on being the super-power. And since when is a wide-body passenger plane anything to brag about? Airbus would love to forget its latest venture in that area.
6: Wrong. Military expenditures by China: 4.6%. Military expenditures by the US: 4.06%. And this is from heavily understated official figures.

China will be the world power by the time the second half of this century rolls around, but only one of your reasons will have even remotely something to do with it.

no wonder

[AlgorithMan]

The plans cover five main areas
1. geology
2. mechanical engineering
3. metallurgical engineering
4. and aeronautical engineering.

No wonder China has major gaps in science and technology - if they can't even count to 5...

Wait...

[sepharious]

are you talking about our government or theirs? I get confused these days...

Just what the doctor ordered

[oldwindways]

Honestly, a more competitive China is the best thing that could happen to American science. We need the impetus of a threatening adversary to not only motivate the practitioners of science, but also to open the floodgates of private/corporate/government funding.

And on a related note, people need to stop dismissing China simply because of their political system. I hate communists just as much as the next red blooded American, but saying they can't do science in a one party government with a control economy is simply short sighted and naive. Doesn't anyone remember the cold war? I seem to recall the Soviets putting the first satellite in orbit, and the first man (and woman) in space. Just because we beat them to the moon doesn't mean they were inept. If anything, history should remind us how effective the concentrated efforts of the government, the economy, the military and civilians of a nation can be. Political freedom does not by default lead to progress, nor does a lack of it guarantee regress.

Definition

[Marxist Hacker 42]

These things will all come with a middle class who demand them. You have to build that middle class up first. This is what a lot of people don't get. It's the middle class, who are financially independent, not the working class who demand change. Funnily enough, it's money which allows freedom to flourish.

This must be some strange meaning of the words "middle class" of which I have not previously been aware. Last I saw, "Middle Class" in the United States was defined as having incomes in the $36,000-$120,000 range; which while certainly comfortable and able to afford a few luxuries and assets, is certainly NOT what I'd call "financially independant" or "not working class".

Other than that I agree with you- as did George Orwell. The working poor can't afford to revolt- 100% of their time is spent just trying to survive. The rich are profiting from the status quo, they aren't going to change anything. Only with a middle class, who suffer due to worker conditions and prosper with a robust economy, can these changes be made.

Kennedy dreams

[sepharious]

I find it interesting that the submitter brings up Kennedy and long range goals and visions. I've been pondering on this subject for some time now and it seems that America has lost its vision. We're trapped in a day-to-day shitfest wondering what celebrities are doing while waiting on our next paycheck to go buy some other piece of junk manufactured in said Red Country. What happened to dreaming of putting men in places they've never been and returning alive to tell the tale? Our government of today has paid the due lip service of "man on Mars....eventually", but where is the far vision? Why have we not heard something of this ilk: "First, I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of reducing the percentage of energy we import and continuing that trend until such time as we are energy independent"? Or "First, I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of balancing our budget and wisely investing surpluses in areas to maximize American potential in perpetuity." Werner von Braun thought we could have gone to Mars in the Eighties. Instead we're mucking around on planet Earth fighting a combat technique as if it were a thinking, independent entity. I want something to work towards, a dream to live. I don't want to go nine to five for forty years so I can plop my fat ass on the couch and watch the Britneys and Paris' of the future on my SuperTivo(tm). I want a country that's worth living in and living for. But maybe that's too much to ask...

Good Thing I Married One

[DumbSwede]

My wife is a Chinese National and an Economist. I don't know where to start on how naïve most of today's comments are on this topic. I myself have been to China four times. It is a vibrant growing area. Disparaging their accomplishments is far from productive.

What amazes my wife most is how much America cares about what are internal Chinese matters, while we, Americans, meddle in every affair across the globe. I can attest that the average Chinese is non too concerned about internet censorship nor political activism. They all assume (rightly or wrongly) they will all have more rights and freedoms as their wealth increases. Modern Chinese care about wealth and security. Obtaining an education is almost a mantra for them.

While the majority of rural Chinese live in property, it will not take too many more decades of double-digit GDP growth to correct this.

While I prefer living in America and believe in Capitalism and Democracy the current Chinese brand of socialism is working well. It is a hybrid system of Capitalism and Central Control that for now is working. It may breakdown in the future, but not necessarily. Communist dogma is not allowed to get in the way of economic planning. That they can plan for the long run should be envied. Chinese patience is an amazing thing.

I am not prepared to say China will eclipse America and the West soon, but am also disinclined to say they could not be the major Super Power in the world 30-50 years from now.

Of course I've hedged my bets by having a Chinese wife ;-)

Where's Intelligent Design?

[NFN_NLN]

If they want to keep on par with the US they better not omit the important areas like "Intelligent Design". Clearly, the US will dominate in this field in the coming years! :)

+5 flamebait, +5 sad but true

Space Technology

[DerekLyons]

"Plans" == "Powerpoints" != "Accomplishments" Thus, TFA (which I might point out is unsourced [1]) is incorrect in treating plans as if they were accomplished facts.

I should also point out that various functionaries in the Chinese space progam have been shopping around grand plans for China in space for a couple of years now. One who is familiar with the history of space exploration might note that NASA functionaries did the same thing in the 60's (as well as off and on since then), shopping around grandiose plans far in excess of the political goals of the national leadership. Russia's space officials have been doing the same thing since a little after the fall of the USSR. The results of all three agencies propoganda and planning are noticeable by their absence.

The only concrete results of these (Chinese) "plans" has been a heap of fearmongering FUD on Slashdot and in the blogosphere. All available evidence points towards the Chinese continuing their space program at it's current glacial pace. (Though the term 'glacial' is perhaps inappropriate - as it implies that glaciers have the same blazing speed normally associated with continental drift.) They have just enough of a program to convince the world that they are a Great Nation - and not a Yuan more. (Which is pretty much true of all nations space programs.)

[1] And the "100 Year Vision of Greatness" cited by the submitter only appears on the same website, by the same author as the "Technology Development Plans" article. This seems fairly suspicious.

Strip-mining and militarizing of Tibet is set to..

[Anonymous Bullard]

Chinese strip-mining and colonization of Tibet and the militarization of the historically "new border areas" facing India (since the 1950 invasion of Tibet by Mao's communist army) are all set to become that much more "ruthlessly efficient" once the "gaps" identified in geology, mechanical engineering, metallurgical engineering and aeronautical engineering by the junta in Beijing have been addressed. The massive Tibetan mineral deposits already scouted and mapped by the Chinese geologists will make sure that the occupying regime will no show mercy for the Tibetan nation as long as 1) the resources are there to be stolen and 2) the regime remains in absolute power.

Thank your lucky stars right now if you weren't born as a Tibetan, or if you did, that you've never heard about the vague terms of "the UN declaration of human rights" or "solidarity"... although sometimes what you don't know can still hurt you badly.

Luckily, or "double-luckily", for the expansionist Chinese junta, the territories of East Turkestan they grabbed from the turkic muslim Uygur people across the vast Taklamakan desert were far easier to exploit for oil, gas, minerals and even uranium since unlike Tibet (aka The Roof of the World) the Uygur homeland lies at or even below sea level.

And for some reason the islamic world is too busy hating the "West" to pay attention to their Uyghur brothers being wiped off the map in actual fact.

Re:Read as...

[A beautiful mind]

You can't fucking steal knowledge! Your post is not only ignorant and racist, but is characteristically showing what is wrong with the direction the USA is heading towards.