China's Secret Scientific Megaprojects

An anonymous reader writes "The Diplomat reports on the 2006 National Medium to Long-term Plan (MLP) for the Development of Science and Technology, China's most ambitious national science and technology plan to date. The MLP consists of sixteen megaprojects — both civilian and military — that serve as 'S&T vanguard programs designed to transform China's science & technology capabilities in areas such as electronics, semiconductors, [and] telecommunications.' Thirteen of the megaprojects are listed in the MLP, while three are classified for national security reasons. The three classified megaprojects are likely the military components of the Shenguang Laser Project (used for thermonuclear weapons), the Beidou 2 Satellite Navigation System, and the Hypersonic Vehicle Technology Project."

Comments

test for free enterprise

[duckintheface]

Since WW2, the US has had a huge lead in science and tech, in part due to the lack of competition from countries that were severely damaged by the war. China is the second largest economy in the world and is the first "command economy" to actually offer competition in innovation to the US. US companies have long argued that the free market was the best way to produce cutting edge innovation. Aside from the defense arena, that is how most tech has been developed.... without an overarching central plan. Now US tech faces a concerted, planned, and nationally funded challenge from China. If the MLP innitiatives are successful in moving China ahead of the US in the targeted areas of research, it will be the end of the hands-off approach of the US government.

Re:test for free enterprise

[duckintheface]

SuricouRaven, you are correct that China has turned to free enterprise at the micro level to set prices and allocate resources. No argument there. But China still has a command economy at the macro level, setting overall goals and choosing winners and losers in the marketplace. A recent example is that the Chinese government has forced all the rare earth mining companies in the country to join a government consortium which controls access at the source. This is part of a plan to make China pre-eminent in high-tech manufacturing using rare earths. I'm saying that China has a plan. The US has no industrial or innovation plan. So we will see which system works better. If US companies focus on short term profit instead of long term innovation, I think this will be the last time they do that. The US government will step in to secure our future.

And you think it will be China?

[Anonymous Coward]

You so funny. Let's jot down a quick list of things that will likely cripple China within the next 20 years.

- Slowing economy
- Massive population
- The food shortage of the century
- Fresh water
- Municipal incompetence
- Gross amounts of industrial pollution

And those are just broad points. China's government is so corrupt that it's highly unlikely it will actually serve the people in any measurable manner.

Re:And you think it will be China?

[TWiTfan]

What makes you think they won't just take everyone else's food, money, and water?

The list

[CODiNE]

The 13 published Megaprojects.

  Core electronic components, high-end general use chips and basic software products
  Large-scale integrated circuit manufacturing equipment and techniques
  New generation broadband wireless mobile communication networks
  Advanced numeric-controlled machinery and basic manufacturing technology
  Large-scale oil and gas exploration
  Large advanced nuclear reactors
  Water pollution control and treatment
  Breeding new varieties of genetically modified organisms
  Pharmaceutical innovation and development
  Control and treatment of AIDS, hepatitis, and other major diseases
  Large aircraft
  High-definition earth observation system
  Manned spaceflight and lunar probe programs