Chinese scientists and companies must develop more technologies
and products independently, rather than copying or importing them
from foreign countries, said Vice Minister of Science and
Technology Shang Yong at a conference on innovation held in Beijing
on Thursday.
Technological standards and intellectual property rights have
become serious barriers to the country's international
competitiveness as a result of the relatively weak creativity of
domestic industries, he said.
Encouraging innovation will be included in the country's
long-term scientific plan (2005-2020) to tackle such issues as
population, natural resources, environment and other important
areas that are crucial to the national economy, according to Shang.
Enterprises will take center stage in the process of innovation and
commercialization of new technologies.
Jin Luzhong, a researcher from the Ministry of Science and
Technology's Science Promotion, Development and Research
Center, said innovation is important for domestic companies to
compete with foreign counterparts.
"Innovation does not exclude cooperating with foreign companies.
On the contrary, domestic companies can draw advanced experience
from foreign counterparts, to improve themselves by upgrading their
technologies," said Lu Feng, a professor from Peking University.
(China Daily February 18, 2005)