May 2011Research and Innovation Highlights in China1Please email wen.zhong@eeas.europa.eu if you think any other colleagues would be interested in receiving this newsletter or if you wish to unsubscribe from the distribution list.In this issue Editorial 1EU-China R&I Events 1Visit of Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn to China 1VM Cao Meets with EC Research and Innovation Commissioner 1EU Commissioner calls for more cooperation 2Kick-off URBAN CHINA 2policies and papers 2China pledges stronger IPR protection 2USTC Ranked 3rd of TOP 10 Institutions in NPI 2010 China 2^ Voices and opinions 3EU expects to address challenges with China 3Top leader urges more funding for social sciences 3Official urges developing hi-tech industries 3China's academic influence rises in int'l science arena, says official 3Scientists welcome Premier's words 3Chinese VP stresses innovation, scientific literacy 4Voice from scientific workers in policy-making urged 4China's sci-tech association calls for reforms in order to promote ethics, innovation 4^ People of the Month 5First Two Chinese ever Awarded the Bergey Medal 5China's national sci-tech association elects new leadership 5Scientific activities 5Health 5Gastric Cancer Metastasis Hub Found 5China's First HIV Saliva Test Kit 5Active Components from Plants for Preventing and Treating Diabetes Developed by LICP Researchers 6Hepatocytes from Induced Stem Cells 6Computer-aided system to advance brain surgery 6Treating Heart Diseases Using HGF 6China-US Joint Liver Center 6Food, agriculture and fisheries, biotechnology 7Experimental base for "space-bred" crops opens in NW China 7Carp Genome Sequenced 7^ China sets up center for wild animal disease research 7Chinese scientists identify E.coli strain 7Rapid EHEC Detection 7Pigs Cloned with 4 Fluorescent Proteins 8First Goose Genome Map 8Information and communication technologies 8Chinese mainland, Taiwan to hold forum on IT industry in June 8China uses 150 million computers every day: report 8^ New Alpha Compression Method Proposed at Eurographics 2011 93G Logging Software Publicized 9China renews top-100 companies list in electronics, IT industry 9Nanosciences, Nanotechnologies, Materials and new Production Technologies 9^ Chery Auto, Bayer partner up on lightweight materials 9Future of robotics: friend or foe? 9A New Strategy for Surface Modification of Graphene Oxide Materials 10Escaped Nanoparticles Hazardous to Crops, Says Study 10Novel Solar Cells 10Nanomaterials Convertible from Hard to Soft 10Environment (including climate change) 10China willing to enhance biodiversity co-op with EU 10China gets tougher on heavy metal pollution 11^ China ranks 2 as clean tech producer, US is No 17 11China's oceanic environment basically healthy 11China to quadruple water conservancy spending 11China to build wetland reserves in NE region 11The Three Gorges Dam 'failure' 12Energy 12China to upgrade power grids in rural areas 12China to spend $23m to ensure nuke safety 12Biggest energy players to continue cooperation 12China to boost offshore wind power generation 13Flood risks might postpone construction of China's first inland nuclear power station 13Electricity firms get smart grid windfall 13First Million-Volt Circuit Breaker in Operation 13China's nuclear power projects continue 13New oil rig marks innovative breakthrough 14Growing pains of China's wind power industry 14Powering-up new energy mix 14China launches coal contingency reserve plan 14China makes world's largest wind turbine, on par with Germany 15China will expand solar power 15China's strides in solar tech debated at Asia Solar Energy Forum 15High-Efficiency CIGS Thin Film Solar Cell 15New Breakthrough Made in Energy Storage Battery Research 16Miscanthus Adapts 16Transport (including aeronautics) 16Airlines battling costly EU plan 16Home Made Unmanned Helicopter 16China eyes Russian helicopter cooperation 16Engineers give Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway the nod 17EMU with Highest Body Strength 17Socioeconomic sciences and the Humanities 17^ CPC history book: 1 million copies sold 17Courts urged to be prudent in use of death penalty 18Economics of aging population 18Important policy messages from census 18Survey: charities need more transparency 18Space 19China to launch more Beidou navigation satellites 19"Wolf Clause" betrays China-U.S. cooperation 19China launches rocket to monitor space environment 19Second satellite system now under construction 19Chang'e-2 goes to outer space 19Space Technology for Heritage Conservation 20People 20China launches national science week 20China and Australia Exchange Young Scientists 20China, Australia hold 4th education talk 20Beijing Wants More Overseas Talents 21China to Train 2,000 Nuclear Fusion Experts 21UNESCO sets up training center on ocean dynamics in east China 21CSTEC and JCEA Sign Cooperation Agreement 21BAI Chunli: CAS Invites More Foreign Scientists to Strengthen Its Innovation Capacity 21Research infrastructures 22China's national deep-sea base to begin construction this year 22^ 1st postdoctoral research station set up in Tibet 22Largest Biometric Database 22IMCAS Launches World Data Center for Microorganisms 22CAS Sets up a Center of Excellence in Brain Mapping with UPenn 23Largest Home Made Electron Linear Accelerator 23China probes into origin of universe on "roof of the world" 23International S&T relations 23^ China-Switzerland Joint S&T Statement 23PASCO between Austria, China established 23Quest for green growth 24Minister Wan Attends 3rd China-US S&ED 241st Regular Meeting of China-Serbia S&T Cooperation Committee Held in Belgrade 245th Meeting of China-Kazakhstan S&T Cooperation Held in Astana 24^ China and Montenegro Sign S&T Cooperation Agreement 25China-Netherlands Research and Innovation Workshop Held in Shanghai 25VM Cao attends 1st China-Ukraine Cooperation Committee Meeting 25Joint Statement Signed on China-Australia S&R Fund 25WAN and Gilani attended China-Pakistan Entrepreneurs Forum 25 Editorial Dear colleagues,Innovation is demonstrated as a key message in the main events in May, emphasised in the European Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn’s first official visit to China, at the annual national congress of China Association for Science and Technology, and in the dynamic international activities that Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology forged with its international partners during the month.The first official visit to China of the European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science underlined the significance the EU attaches to research and innovation and to its collaboration with China within the context of the EU 2020 and Innovation Union, and China’s 12th five-year plan. Issues of common concern were addressed in terms of joint actions, reciprocity, mobility of researchers, IPR protection, etc. in order to facilitate future collaboration. Our Commissioner's mission to China strengthened the proposals expressed by the European Council President Herman Van Rompuy during his visit to China from 15 to 18 May that innovation, urbanisation and talents are the three areas that China and the EU could work together on.With innovation at the heart of the strategies of both sides, how to pool the existing mechanisms and resources and promote the joint endeavours in this regard have been the main topics of the meetings with the wide range of European and Chinese stakeholders. A joint task force on innovation was proposed and further studies remain to be done at the working level by both sides in this respect. In parallel, on 24 May, a new EU FP7 funded project URBACHINA was launched here in Beijing to study the institutional, policy, environmental settings of the urbanisation process in China.In May, China Association for Science and Technology (CAST), the country’s largest non-governmental organisation for science and technology workers, held its eighth National Congress. The presence of the top State leaders to the congress including President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao showed the high political importance of the central government in its agenda on science and technology. Innovation was underlined and reforms were called for to promote ethics and innovation. Along with the scientific activities selected in this issue of the Highlights, we noted with interest the dynamic international links that China has set up in relation to the research and innovation. The conclusion of an S&T statement with Switzerland, the 2nd innovation dialogue with the US, S&T cooperation committees held with Serbia, Kazakhstan, Montenegro, and Ukraine, a joint science and research fund with Australia, a workshop on innovation with the Netherlands, and so on, reflects the international dimension of China’s S&T efforts, with priority areas focused in particular on health, people-to-people exchange, energy, environment, agriculture.Coming in June, the first EU-China thematic task force on food, agriculture and biotechnology under the umbrella of EU-China S&T cooperation agreement is expected to be launched by the European Commission Directorate General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD) and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Also in June, the European Research Council is planning a presentation tour in Beijing in the key universities and research institutes in view of enhancing Chinese participation in ERC grant schemes, and DG RTD will be discussing with Chinese counterparts in particular the National Centre for Science and Technology Evaluation on possible cooperation on project/programme evaluation.With kind regards,Philippe Vialatte Head of S&T and Environment Section^ EU-China R&I Events Visit of Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn to China On 27 May, European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science Máire Geoghegan-Quinn concluded her week-long visit to Shanghai and Beijing in China, during which the Commissioner had the opportunity to discuss new ways to increase the EU-China research and innovation cooperation. During her visit, the Commissioner met both Chinese and European stakeholders engaged in research and innovation. On the Chinese side at the political level the Commissioner met with the Minister of Science and Technology Mr. Wan Gang, and the Vice Minister Mr. Cao Jianlin. Mrs Geoghegan-Quinn visited the big innovative Chinese company Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., as well as the Shanghai Technology Innovation Centre that provides support to Chinese SMEs to innovate. Chinese experts working on innovation policy and implementation, and Chinese partners in FP projects discussed with the Commissioner about their experiences and possible recommendations for further enhancing EU-China Science, Technology and Innovation cooperation.On the European side, the Commissioner met EU managers of Research centres and of EU private companies working in China, EU Researchers, the Science counsellors of the EU MS and EU Ambassadors to exchange views with regard to their experiences and knowledge on cooperating with China.On the occasion of these meetings, the Commissioner expressed her thoughts and objectives as regards EU political objectives and EU-China cooperation to Chinese and European partners, as well as the objectives of EU 2020, Innovation Union and the issues to be resolved by Chinese partners to facilitate EU-China Science, Technology and Innovation cooperation such as reciprocity, mobility, IPR, market access, public procurement, etc.Under the auspices of the EU-China Year of Youth, the Commissioner delivered speeches on EU Science, Technology and Innovation policy to students at Tsinghua University in Beijing and at the China –EU International Business School in Shanghai.The Commissioner's visit to China was completed with full success and further consolidated the results of the last EU-China Joint Steering Committee on S&T held in Brussels in March 2011 on how and in which field EU-China collaboration in research, innovation and science can be strengthened. VM Cao Meets with EC Research and Innovation Commissioner Vice Minister Cao Jianlin met with Ms. Maire Geoghegan-Quinn, Research and Innovation Commissioner of the European Commission (EC) in Beijing on May 24th. Both sides spoke highly of the achievements in science and technology (S&T) cooperation. Many signed documents created deliverables to China-EU Summit over the last few years. During Shanghai World Expo, the China-EU S&T Week and the 8th China-EU Energy Cooperation Conference were held successfully. The proteomics cooperation project launched recently marked a step forward in the implementation of China-EU S&T Partnership Scheme. The two sides exchanged opinions and reached consensus on enhancing S&T collaboration in a range of areas, such as S&T evaluation, infrastructure, clean energy and health. (Source: MOST) EU Commissioner calls for more cooperation "China is now the place to be," says EU Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science Máire Geoghegan-Quinn in Beijing. Geoghegan-Quinn says at China's renowned Tsinghua University, which just celebrated its 100th birthday and houses a Europe-China Clean Energy Center on its campus, that EU is encouraging more students to come to China. "For centuries, we Europeans have been fascinated by Chinese ingenuity and invention - indeed since the time of Marco Polo." She calls for more collaboration between European and Chinese researchers because no one country can hope to solve major challenges alone such as food and energy security, climate change, disaster management, and nuclear safety. (Further details in source: China Daily) Kick-off URBAN CHINA A new EU FP7-funded project – URBACHINA was officially launched in Beijing on 24 May. The overall objectives of the project are to study the institutional foundations and policies for urbanisation; the issue of land property in urbanisation and the development of real estate markets in cities; the need for environmental infrastructures delivering connectivity and services for the urban population; and the relationships between urban development, traditions, and modern lifestyles in cities. The kick-off event attracted EU embassy staff, EU funding agencies in Beijing and researchers. The project, carried out by a consortium lead by CNRS, aims to strengthen EU-China collaboration and contribute to sustainable cities. Case studies will include Shanghai, Chongqing, and Kunming, amongst others. The results of the project will be relevant to policymakers. policies and papers China pledges stronger IPR protection China pledged to further enhance efforts on intellectual property rights (IPR) protection and create a better environment for foreign investors. Vice Premier Wang Qishan made the pledge in a meeting with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer in Beijing. Wang said the government attaches high importance to IPR protection, noting that the campaign against copyright infringement launched last October had been effective. He also applauded Microsoft for setting up its biggest research base outside the United States in Beijing. (Further details in source: China Daily) USTC Ranked 3rd of TOP 10 Institutions in NPI 2010 China The Nature Publishing Group released Nature Publishing Index 2010 China on May 11, remarking "a dramatic rise in the quality of research being published by China". University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) is ranked 3rd of TOP 10 Institutions in Index 2010 China. Published as a supplement to Nature, the 2010 Index for China ranks research institutions and cities in mainland China. The top 10 institutions in China are: Chinese Academy of Science, Tsinghua University (THU), University of Science and Technology of China, BGI Shenzhen, Peking University (PKU), Nanjing University (NJU), The University of Hong Kong, Southeast University, Xiamen University, Zhejiang University. (Further details in source: CAS) ^ Voices and opinions EU expects to address challenges with China European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said that he hopes the European Union (EU) and China will work together to address their common challenges. Van Rompuy made the remarks in his speech at China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) in Shanghai. "We can all benefit from addressing our challenges together while exchanging best practices," he said. He mentioned three aspects of the exchange, including innovation, urbanization and talents. In his speech, Van Rompuy suggested China and Europe establish another academic institute, besides the existing CEIBS in Shanghai and the China-EU School of Law in Beijing. Van Rompuy said that it is also necessary to establish a "China Chamber of Commerce" - similar to the EU Chamber operating in China - to help Chinese investors to fully exploit the opportunities in the EU market. (Further details in source: China Daily)^ Top leader urges more funding for social sciences Senior Chinese leader and member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Li Changchun has called for more funding to be invested in the country's academic research in philosophy and social sciences. The national funding for social sciences should be taken as a guidance for the country's social sciences development, Li said. Li said the new development of the domestic and international situation had called for more efforts to promote the general development of philosophy and social science research. Philosophy and social sciences could function as a think tank for society and should be used to assist Chinese society, he said. (Further details in source: China Daily)^ Official urges developing hi-tech industries Senior Chinese official He Guoqiang has called for greater efforts to develop new high-tech industries in order to accelerate the transformation of the country's economic development. While visiting the Shanghai High and New Technology Industrialization Expo, He said enhancing innovative capacity is the key to changing the way China's economy operates. Shanghai should make full use of its technological edge and talented labor pool to create more local brands and innovate in technologically advanced industries, He said. (Further details in source: China Daily)^ China's academic influence rises in int'l science arena, says official China has produced more and better quality academic theses in the last decade, said a science official. From 2000 to 2009, statistics show that 659,000 Chinese science and technology theses were published in respected academic publications, ranking the fifth country in the world. Statistics also show that since 2008, China has risen to second in the world in the number of theses indexed by the Science Citation Index (SCI), a world leading thesis index system, with the amount in last year surpassing 150,000. This indicates a growth in China's academic influence in the world, Zhang Xian'en, director of the Department of Basic Research of the Ministry of Science and Technology, said. (Further details in source: Xinhuanet)^ Scientists welcome Premier's words Premier Wen Jiabao said that China must develop its abilities in science and technology and build up a large pool of talented individuals if the country is to take the initiative in international competition. He made the remarks while addressing a plenary session of the National Congress of the China Association for Science and Technology. Wen said the nation should work hard on creating an environment in which scientists can become bold and innovative and one that will also encourage freedom and democracy in academic issues. According to the latest report from the Royal Society, China has replaced the UK in second place, behind the United States, in terms of its share of the world's scientific research papers written in English. China may pass the US by 2013. However, statistics released by the Ministry of Science and Technology also showed that the number of academic papers from Chinese teams, while increasing four-fold between 2000 and 2010, contain little by way of original research and influential work. "China has tens of thousands of scientific researchers, so we do not lack capable people, but what we need is free competition and tolerance in the research environment," said Jiang Gaoming, chief researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In the speech, Premier Wen emphasized that China should reform its systems of management, decision-making, appraisal and personnel in the fields of science and technology, so as to modernize the system in a way that works within the country's socialist market economy. (Further details in source: China Daily)^ Chinese VP stresses innovation, scientific literacy Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping called on science and technology workers nationwide to continue to push forward the country's innovation drive while promoting scientific literacy among the public. Xi made the call while delivering a speech at the eighth national congress held by the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST). Chinese President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao and other top leaders including Jia Qinglin, Li Changchun, Li Keqiang, He Guoqiang and Zhou Yongkang were present at the meeting. CAST is the country's largest non-governmental organization for science and technology workers. Through some 200 member societies and local branches, the organization serves as a bridge linking the Chinese government and the Party with the country's scientists and engineers. (Further details in source: China Daily)^ Voice from scientific workers in policy-making urged Scientific workers should be more active in expressing their opinions as a way to support the country's scientific and technologic policy making, said Shi Laide, chairman of the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society. He stressed that scientific researchers and workers should assume more responsibilities during the discussion and decision making process before the launch of the country's major projects. When it comes to the country's major projects, economic interests shouldn't be the only factor considered, said Lin Donglu, secretary general of the Chinese Society of Rare Earths. "The scientists should help to do research for the projects from scientific perspectives as well," Lin said. (Further details in source: China Daily) China's sci-tech association calls for reforms in order to promote ethics, innovation The leader of a national sci-tech association in China has called for reforms in these fields in order to promote academic integrity, scientific ethics and independent innovation in the country. Academic integrity and scientific ethics in China have improved in recent years, but there are still some problems, according to Han Qide, chairman of the national committee of the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST). Scientific research and the assessment of the results of that research should be reformed in order to root out academic dishonesty and misconduct, Han said. Han said that media supervision plays an important role in the creation of a fair academic environment, adding that the CAST will work closely with the media in this regard. Han said that reforms in China's scientific and technological circles will also serve to motivate independent innovation. (Further details in source: Xinhua net) ^ People of the Month First Two Chinese ever Awarded the Bergey Medal On the closing ceremony of the Meeting of Bergey’s International Society of Microbial Systematics (BISMiS) on May 22, Prof. Goodfellow, Chairman of Bergey’s Manual Trust, announced that Prof. RUAN Jisheng and LIU Zhiheng from Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IMCAS) would share this year’s Bergey’s Medal. The Bergey Medal is the highest award bestowed to individuals in recognition of their life-long contributions to the field of systematics bacteriology. It is the first time Chinese scientists have ever received such an honor. Professor RUAN has worked on the taxonomy of actinomycetes in IMCAS for over 50 years. Engaged in the systematics of actinomycetes, Professor LIU has made remarkable achievements in microbial diversity, natural products of actinomycetes resources and astrobiology. (Source: CAS) China's national sci-tech association elects new leadership The China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) chose new leaders during its eighth national congress. Han Qide, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, or China's top legislature, had his term as chairman of the CAST's national committee renewed after a round of voting during the congress. Han has been chairman of the CAST's national committee since 2006. Sixteen others were elected vice chairmen of the CAST's national committee. Chen Xi was appointed as first secretary of the secretariat of the CAST's eighth national committee after being nominated by the chairman. Founded in 1958, the CAST is a national, non-governmental organization of scientific, technological and engineering workers. It has member societies and local branches throughout the country. (Further details in source: Xinhua net) ^ Scientific activities Health Gastric Cancer Metastasis Hub Found XUE Yingwei, Director of Gastrointestinal Division of Harbin Medical University No. 3 Clinical School, found that Twist is a hub triggering up the malignant behavior of gastric cancer, including invasion and metastasis. Researchers spotted the “hub” through screening the protein levels of Twist in four gastric cancer cell lines, under a study made to understand the early signals of gastric cancer formation. (Further details in source: MOST)China's First HIV Saliva Test Kit An HIV (1 +2 type) test kit working on oral mucosal exudate antibody, jointly developed by Beijing Wantai Biopharmaceuticals and Xiamen University, is able to tell if the testee has been affected by AIDS in 30 minutes, simply by collecting the saliva sample using a cotton swab, and testing it in a kit made up of several reagents. (Further details in source: MOST)Active Components from Plants for Preventing and Treating Diabetes Developed by LICP Researchers An extract-composition of traditional Chinese herbal medicine for preventing and treating diabetes has been successfully prepared by researchers from Key Laboratory of Chemistry of Northwestern Plant Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The technique has received a Chinese invention patent with paten No. ZL: 200810189023.6 on April 27, 2011. Based on the traditional Chinese medicine formula, two fractions, namely Fr.A and Fr.B, are obtained from the extract of both astragalus and glycyrrhiza as starting materials through water decoction process, ethanol precipitation, organic solvent extraction and macroporous adsorption resin separation. (Further details in source: CAS)Hepatocytes from Induced Stem Cells A study team, led by HUI Lijian of CAS Shanghai Institute for Biological Sciences, reported its findings on induced liver cells in the May 12 online issue of Nature, in an attempt to prove that the stem cells other than the liver cells can be directly induced into liver cells, which creates a groundwork for treating liver diseases using the hepatocytes generated from a patient’s own induced pluripotent stem cells. (Further details in source: MOST) Computer-aided system to advance brain surgery A Chinese professor and his team at a Japanese university have invented a computer-aided system for brain surgery that will likely improve the success rate of surgical brain intervention. Prof. Guo Shuxiang with Kagawa University said they had completed testing on the system and released a report at the ongoing medical engineering conference in Harbin, capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang province. According to Guo, surgical intervention is commonly used on organs such as liver, heart and lungs, but is rare and much more sophisticated when involving the brain. The system consists of a computer and a controller that simulates human hand movements and inserts a tube into the brain accurately, which significantly improves the intervention effect. (Further details in source: China Daily) Treating Heart Diseases Using HGF Researchers from Nanjing Medical University, Chinese Academy of Military Medical Sciences, and Shanghai Minimal Invasive Medical Device have successfully treated ischemic heart diseases using hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). The treatment, currently in phaseⅡclinical trials, has reached the desired therapeutic effect in 3 ischemic heart disease patients. (Further details in source: MOST) China-US Joint Liver Center A ceremony was jointly staged by Zhejiang University School of Medicine No. 1 Hospital and the UCLA Medical Center on June 2, 2011 to undersign a cooperation accord, and put a joint liver center into operation. This is the first time that the UCLA Medical Center selected a global partner. UCLA Vice Chancellor Eugene Washington sent his video congratulations to the ceremony, wishing the new center making its contribution to human health through a full range in-depth cooperation. A liver transplant team, led by ZHENG Shusen, a CAE academician working for Zhejiang University School of Medicine No. 1 Hospital, has completed some 1,000 liver transplant surgeries, secured a benign end-stage 1 year survival rate of 95.2%, an internationally advanced record. The medical institution is currently the largest organ transplant center in the country. ZHENG said the two institutions will work on the medical techniques and tools for treating liver diseases, and basic pathology, through in-depth research and knowledge sharing. Personnel exchange is also part of the project. (Further details in source: MOST)_______________________________________ Food, agriculture and fisheries, biotechnology Experimental base for "space-bred" crops opens in NW China An experimental base for growing "space- bred" eco-friendly crops has opened in Yulin City, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. With the support of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, agricultural experts will grow cash crops from seeds that have mutated in space due to high-radiation and low-gravity. The Aerospace Breeding Research Center will select one or two superior cash crop strains each year to be grown at the base. The crops are expected to make the sandy soil in the region more productive. China has been sending seeds into space on recoverable satellites since 1987. (Further details in source: Xinhuanet)Carp Genome Sequenced A Cyprinidae genome workshop and associated briefing event was held on May 6, 2011 in Beijing. The project, jointly undertaken by the Research Center for Applied Aquatic Genomics, part of the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Heilongjiang Institute of Fishery, and CAS Beijing Genomics Institute, has completed the genome-wide sequencing of carp, and mapped out the genome framework, physical genome map, and high-density chain map of common carp, which creates an important basis for genome-assisted breeding and fast breeding. (Further details in source: MOST)China sets up center for wild animal disease research China's State Forestry Administration (SFA) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have jointly established a research center that will focus on epidemic diseases that affect China's wild animal population, according to the vice president of the CAS. The center is expected to monitor, forecast, research and control the spread of disease in the wild, Li Jiaxiang, vice president of the CAS, said at an opening ceremony for the center in Beijing. The center will use resources from a variety of major domestic institutions, including the SFA and the CAS, and will allow authorities to dispatch early warnings about possible epidemics, Li said. (Further details in source: Xinhua net)Chinese scientists identify E.coli strain A highly infectious new strain of E.coli bacteria is causing a deadly outbreak of food poisoning in Germany, scientists said, with cases in Europe and the United States raising the alarm worldwide. Experts in China, part of a global network of laboratories racing to understand the sickness which killed a 17th victim overnight, said they had found the bug carried genes that made it resistant to several classes of antibiotics. (Further details in source: China Daily)Rapid EHEC Detection Chinese scientists have developed a technique able to detect and identify EHEC O104H4 in a quick manner. The technique has been diffused for nationwide application. XU Jianguo, China CDC Infectious Diseases Prevention and Control Institute Director, said there are three known common EHEC serotypes: O157, O26, O111, and more than 40 uncommon ones. The one that caused the recent outbreak in Germany, or O104H4, is a rare serotype in the EHEC family, having Shiga toxin 2 (vtx2a) gene and three intestinal adhesion genes (aatA, aggR, aap). (Further details in source: MOST)Pigs Cloned with 4 Fluorescent Proteins A study team, led by LAI Liangxue with the Chinese Academy of Sciences Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine, in collaboration with Prof. GU Weiwang at the Southern Medical University, and Prof. WU Zhenfang of South China Agricultural University, has successfully bred out special transgenic pigs that are able to emit red, yellow, green, and blue fluorescence lights under a given wavelength, the first transgenic pigs able to simultaneously express 4 fluorescent proteins in the world. (Further details in source: MOST)First Goose Genome Map Chinese scientists announced that they have completed the sequence of goose genome at a press conference jointly held on June 3, 2011 by Beijing Genomics Institute (Shenzhen), Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and Xiangshan Zhedong White Goose Research Institute. The goose genome map, the first of its kind in the world sequenced by Chinese scientists independently, is important for unveiling the genetic basis of domesticated goose’ reproduction, stress resistance, growth, meat quality, and plumage color, and for understanding goose domestication and associated biological classification, the origin of domesticated Chinese goose, and goose breeding. (Further details in source: MOST)_______________________________________ Information and communication technologies Chinese mainland, Taiwan to hold forum on IT industry in June The Chinese mainland and Taiwan will hold the eighth forum on information technology (IT) and standards for the sector in Taipei on June 17 and 18, a State Council Taiwan Affairs Office spokeswoman announced. Among the 10 topics to be discussed at the forum are the mainland's home-grown next-generation telecommunication technology, known as the TD-LTE, and light emitting diodes (LEDs). The mainland delegation, composed of entrepreneurs, professionals and scholars, will be headed by Xi Guohua, vice minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, but Xi's visit is non-official, she said. (Further details in source: Xinhuanet) China uses 150 million computers every day: report About 150 million computers are used every day in China, but six out of ten computers have problems such as slow running speeds, according to a report released by a major Chinese computer security company in Beijing. Excessive numbers of "startup programs" lead to slower operating speeds, resulting in lower overall efficiency, said the report, which was released by Qihoo 360, China's largest free anti-virus software provider. (Further details in source: Xinhuanet)New Alpha Compression Method Proposed at Eurographics 2011 Memory bandwidth is often the bottleneck for graphics systems, as the yearly performance growth rate of computing capability is much larger than that of bandwidth and latency for DRAM. Reading from texture memory is often the main consumer of bandwidth. Thus texture compression is widely used in graphics systems. Under the guidance of Professor HU Weiwu, PhD student JIANG Yifei presented a novel alpha compression scheme, called EAC (Enhanced Alpha Compression), as an improvement to that of S3TC. EAC defines new compression data formats, and employs clustering algorithms combined with linear interpolation method used in S3TC to compress 16 input alpha values to 64 bits. (Further details in source: CAS)3G Logging Software Publicized PetroChina recently released the world's first third-generation logging software CIFLog in Beijing. The new computer program has for the first time realized the integration of all complex reservoir evaluation methods in a single software, covering all computer operating systems and languages available today. According to a briefing, CIFLog is one of ten major national oil and gas development projects, or the only one referring to large software development. (Further details in source: MOST) China renews top-100 companies list in electronics, IT industry The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued a top-100 list of Chinese electronics and information technology companies, with Huawei, a telecom solutions provider, continuing to stay at the first place. Huawei was followed by Legend Holding Ltd., whose subsidiaries include the well-known Lenovo and Digital China, and the Hai'er Group, a leading Chinese producer of white goods, according to the list issued by the ministry in the city of Huizhou in south China's Guangdong Province. The list, the 25th of the kind, was primarily based on the number for main business revenue last year, said Ding Wenwu, deputy chief the ministry's electronics and information department. (Further details in source: Xinhua net)_______________________________________ Nanosciences, Nanotechnologies, Materials and new Production Technologies Chery Auto, Bayer partner up on lightweight materials China's automaker Chery Auto and Bayer Group have jointly set up a lab to research and develop lightweight materials for automobiles, Chery announced. Jin Yibo, a spokesman with Chery Auto, said Chery Auto and Bayer MaterialScience will jointly conduct research on applications of a wide range of materials such as polycarbonates and polyurethanes on automobiles. (Further details in source: China Daily) Future of robotics: friend or foe? Scientists attending a recent high-level conference on robotics agreed that great progress has been made in the field, but strict rules for the safe usage of robots should be implemented. "Four years ago, if you went into a Chinese factory and said 'robots can help you work,' you would be kicked out. But now, China has a large industrial robot market, along with Japan, the Republic of Korea and the United States," says Li Zexiang, general chair of the 2011 International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA 2011), which concluded in Shanghai. (Further details in source: Xinhuanet)A New Strategy for Surface Modification of Graphene Oxide Materials Ion implantation is an effective technique in modifying the surface property, structure and morphology of materials, with no limitation on the variety of the materials. Researchers at the State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication of the Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics (LICP), CAS, have recently achieved the surface amorphization and deoxygenation of graphene oxide (GO) paper using Ti ion implantation, which opens up a new strategy for the surface modification of GO materials. It can also improve the optical, magnetic, and electrical properties of GO materials as well as expand the applications of GO-based nanodevices. (Further details in source: CAS)Escaped Nanoparticles Hazardous to Crops, Says Study Nanoparticles that escape during the manufacture and use of consumer products would substantially reduce the growth of wheat were they to end up in soil, according to Chinese scientists. The production, use and disposal of nanomaterials from sectors such as cosmetics and electronics can lead to their release into air, water and soil. Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences investigated the effect of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles, widely used in sunscreen and electronics, on wheat growth and soil enzyme activities, at the Changshu Agro-ecological Experimental Station. (Further details in source: CAS)Novel Solar Cells Prof. KANG Junyong and his research team at Xiamen University School of Physics and Electrical Engineering rolled out a novel type of solar cells. The solar cells, built on two wide band gap semiconductor materials zinc oxide and zinc selenide, enjoy a greatly stabilized performance and extended life. The development marks the first application of a wide band gap semiconductor in the world. The finding was published in the recent issue of Materials Chemistry. (Further details in source: MOST)Nanomaterials Convertible from Hard to Soft Scientists from Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Metal Research, the Technical University of Hamburg, and the Helmholtz Center Geesthacht have developed a magic material that can change its strength, virtually at the touch of a button, from friable hard to elastic soft. The property can be changed by electrical signals. The finding was published in the recent issue of Science. (Further details in source: MOST)_______________________________________ Environment (including climate change) China willing to enhance biodiversity co-op with EU China is willing to strengthen the cooperation with the European Union (EU) in various areas such as the biodiversity protection, said Zhu Hong, a senior official of China's Ministry of Commerce. "China is among the countries with the richest biodiversity, but is also one of the countries facing grave situation of declining biodiversity," Zhu said. Over the past five year, a cooperation project, the EU-China Biodiversity Programme (ECBP), has yielded a fruitful result, Vice Environmental Protection Minister Li Ganjie said at the seminar. Started from 2005, the ECBP is the EU's largest overseas biodiversity conservation programme. (Further details in source: China Daily) China gets tougher on heavy metal pollution Chinese authorities have pledged more effective measures to regulate the manufacturing of batteries and other heavy metal industries to prevent heavy metal pollution and poisoning. These measures include strict market entry permission systems, better daily environmental management to ensure safe disposal of pollutants, intensified administration and punishment of violations and more information transparency to encourage the public's supervision, according to a circular issued by the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP). The circular came after a serious lead poisoning case in East China's Zhejiang province where pollutants from a local lead-acid battery plant had caused elevated blood lead levels in more than 300 people, including 99 children. (Further details in source: China Daily) China ranks 2 as clean tech producer, US is No 17 Denmark earns the biggest share of its national revenue from producing windmills and other clean technologies, the United States is rapidly expanding its clean-tech sector, but no country can match China's pace of growth, according to a new report obtained by The Associated Press. China's production of green technologies has grown by a remarkable 77 per cent a year, according to the report, which was commissioned by the World Wildlife Fund for Nature and which will be unveiled at an industry conference in Amsterdam. "The Chinese have made a conscious decision to capture this market and to develop this market aggressively," said Donald Pols, an economist with the WWF. Denmark, a longtime leader in wind energy, derives 3.1 percent of its gross domestic product from renewable energy technology and energy efficiency, or about euro6.5 billion ($9.4 billion), the report said. China is the largest producer in money terms, earning more than euro44 billion ($64 billion), or 1.4 percent of its gross domestic product. (Further details in source: China Daily) China's oceanic environment basically healthy China's oceanic environment was basically healthy in 2010, with 94 percent of the country's territorial waters being of the highest quality according to national standards, a government report has said. Also, the majority of the marine offshore eco-systems were healthy or sub-healthy, said the report on China's oceanic environment for 2010, which was issued by the State Oceanic Administration (SOA). (Further details in source: China Daily) China to quadruple water conservancy spending China's investment in water conservancy projects from 2011 to 2020 is expected to reach 4 trillion yuan ($615 billion), almost four times as much as that spent during the past 10 years, a senior water official said. The increased investment shows the government's determination to transform the nation's backward and inadequate water-related infrastructure, Chen said at a national work conference held in Changchun, capital city of Northeast China's Jilin province. (Further details in source: China Daily) China to build wetland reserves in NE region China is planning to build cross-border wetlands and nature reserves in its northeastern provinces to protect precious bird and fish species, the Minister of Environment Protection Zhou Shengxian said at a China-Russia environmental protection conference in Harbin, capital of northeastern Heilongjiang Province. "China is willing to join hands with Russia to expand environment protection by deepening cooperation in such areas as biodiversity, wetland protection and environment policies," Zhou said. Also, China will further strengthen management and pollution control over such key transnational rivers, the minister said. (Further details in source: China Daily) The Three Gorges Dam 'failure' The Three Gorges Dam project failed to consider the full impact it would have on the ecological environment during its early design, an official admitted. But he said the impact could be minimized by proper water discharges from the reservoir to the Yangtze River. The dam, the world's largest hydroelectric project, had contributed to the lowered water levels of Dongting Lake in Hunan Province and Poyang Lake in Jiangxi Province, Wang Jingquan, deputy inspector of the flood control and drought relief office affiliated to the Yangtze River Water Resources Committee, told Xinmin Evening News. The dam also had an impact on the wildlife and plants in lower reaches of the Yangtze, said Wang. He said the committee was still looking for solutions to the impact on the river's ecosystem. "We failed to think of all the impacts that the dam might bring about when designing the dam, but its advantages should outweigh the disadvantages," he said. Apart from generating more than 80 billion kilowatt-hours of "green power" a year, the project effectively prevented flooding and enabled heavier ships be able to sail on the Yangtze, Wang said. (Further details in source: China.org)_______________________________________ Energy China to upgrade power grids in rural areas China's top economic planer has issued a notice asking local governments to upgrade their rural power grids in a bid to boost the nation's rural power infrastructure and improve the lives of rural residents in the next five years. Meanwhile, the same pricing of electricity will be realized between rural and urban areas, the notice said. Further, the central government will add more funds to support these projects, the notice said. (Further details in source: China Daily) China to spend $23m to ensure nuke safety China's environmental regulator will spend 150 million yuan (about US $23.08 million) on nuclear and radiation safety supervision and control, as well as in offering relevant technical support this year in an effort to ensure nuclear safety. The Ministry of Environmental Protection said in a budgetary report for 2011 on its website that the ministry's total budgetary expenditure is about 1.92 billion yuan this year, of which, 1.12 billion yuan will be used to carry out 61 environmental protection projects. The ministry's budgetary report last year did not include nuclear safety projects. (Further details in source: China Daily) Biggest energy players to continue cooperation During the third round of the China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue, State Councilor Dai Bingguo co-chaired the strategic track with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and exchanged views on climate change, clean energy and regional issues. Through the dialogue, China and the US agreed to carry out in-depth and pragmatic cooperation on advancing smart grids, large-scale wind power development, natural gas distributed energy, shale gas, aviation biofuel and more, and decided to share information about their energy regulatory experiences and practices, said Liu Tienan, vice-chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission. (Further details in source: China Daily) China to boost offshore wind power generation China will expand its offshore wind power installed capacity to 5 gigawatts (GW) by 2015 and 30GW by 2020, according to the Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Association (CREIA) on in Beijing. CREIA's forecast came during the announcement that Offshore Wind China 2011, the largest industrial seminar and exhibition of offshore wind power in Asia, will be held from June 15 to 17 in East China's Shanghai city. Global wind turbine makers, including Vestas, Sinovel and Siemens, will participate in the event. (Further details in source: China Daily) Flood risks might postpone construction of China's first inland nuclear power station Construction of China's first inland nuclear power station might be postponed for further evaluation of flood risks as Japan's nuclear crisis has prompted calls for greater precautions, experts say. The 60-billion-yuan nuclear program in Xianning City of central China's Hubei Province, which is still in a pre-construction stage, was previously scheduled to be completed in 2015, according to Hubei Nuclear Power Co., Ltd., the power station's owner. China operates six nuclear power plants, which are all located along the country's eastern and southern coasts. China has approved the construction of 28 more nuclear power reactors, some of which will be located in inland areas, to meet rising demand for clean energy and accelerate industrial development. However, the rapid expansion of China's nuclear power projects has prompted safety concerns. (Further details in source: Xinhuanet) Electricity firms get smart grid windfall Electricity companies in Northeast Asia are likely to reap rewards now that China's power distributor has decided to accelerate the construction of power transmission lines and substations as part of its effort to pave the way for a smart grid. The State Grid Corp of China will add 337,000 kilometers of power transmission lines with a voltage of more than 110 kilovolts between 2011 and 2015, said Shu Yinbiao, the company's deputy general manager. The firm also plans to accelerate long-distance electricity transmission capable of linking to new sources of energy. Shu said the work will double new energy efficiency by 2020. The power distributor is planning to invest $44 billion in ultra-high voltage transmission technology by 2012, making China the world's largest market for advanced transmission lines. (Further details in source: China Daily)First Million-Volt Circuit Breaker in Operation A Chinese made high-end million-volt circuit breaker has recently passed the full-range test at the National Quality Supervision and Inspection Center for High Voltage Equipment. The powerful circuit breaker is designed mainly for a project that needs series compensation. The successful development of the technology, the first of its kind in the world, will enable China to develop a million-volt dual circuit breaker for a short circuit current of 63 thousand amperes (KA) or higher. (Further details in source: MOST) China's nuclear power projects continue Chinese nuclear power developers are continuing preparations for new projects, signaling their undiminished appetite for the clean energy despite Japan's nuclear crisis. The latest move is a joint effort by China GD Power Development Co Ltd and China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group to build three nuclear plants in northern Jilin province. China froze approvals of nuclear projects on March 16 following Japan's nuclear crisis. But the freeze on new projects is unlikely to derail the country's goal of attaining 70 gigawatts (gW) of nuclear capacity by 2020. With the 25 units currently under construction, China could easily reach 40 gW in nuclear capacity by 2015. The country will likely grant approvals for the inland nuclear power plants in Jiangxi, Hunan and Hubei provinces once the freeze is lifted, and this will help the country achieve its goal by 2020. The country is expected to issue its nuclear safety plan in August, after which it will resume the approval process, Lin Chengge, former deputy director of the National Nuclear Safety Administration, told China Daily earlier. (Further details in source: China Daily) New oil rig marks innovative breakthrough The advanced deep-sea oil platform marks another milestone in Chinese design and engineering. Its innovations improve both the security and efficiency of offshore oil exploration. Oceanic Petroleum 9-8-1 platform can drill for oil 3-thousand meters below sea level. The deck on the 130-meter-high rig covers an area about the size of a football field. (Further details in source: Xinhuanet) Growing pains of China's wind power industry Grid access has become a nightmare for Inner Mongolia's burgeoning wind power industry. Wind farms in the region have a total installed power capacity of 6.5 gigawatts (GW), the most of any region in China. China surpassed the United States to become the world's largest producer of wind power at the end of 2010. However, China's wind power industry has been troubled with growing pains. One reason for this is the fluctuating nature of wind power. Some industry officials believe that wind power may pose a serious threat to power grid stability, saying that wind power should account for less than 5 to 10 percent of any given power grid's total power. However, on April 8, 2010, wind power accounted for 18.7 percent of the Inner Mongolia Grid's total power without any negative repercussions. "The grid is like a giant jar, and wind power is like a river," says Lu Jianjun, director of the wind power office of Inner Mongolia's Chayou Central Banner. "The Inner Mongolia grid 'jar' is full, but the wind power 'water' keeps flowing in. We have to cut off the 'river'," Lu says. The only solution is to send out wind power over long distances and integrate it into the much larger State Grid." This, however, is easier said than done. (Further details in source: China Daily) Powering-up new energy mix China has abundant reserves of new energy resources and there is great potential for their larger-scale development Due to the continuous advancement of the country's new energy technologies, the rising costs of fossil fuels and the country's commitment to reducing carbon dioxide emissions, new energy will play a growing role in China's energy consumption structure. However, whether or not new energy can become a genuine substitute for traditional energy sources in the future will be largely decided by their development costs, the degree of their technological maturity and their effects on the environment. (Further details in source: China Daily) China launches coal contingency reserve plan China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) released new guidelines for the nation's coal contingency reserves, China Securities Journal reported. The guidelines include regulations about qualifications for reserve companies and the circumstances under which reserves should be used. Coal mines with an annual output of more than 20 million tons and electricity companies which have an annual capacity of more than one million kilowatts can apply for the reserve qualification. The national reserve program is set to ensure energy for regions far from coal mines or that partly rely on water power. The reserve period will be eight months of every year. (Source: China Daily) China makes world's largest wind turbine, on par with Germany A Sinovel made 6MW wind turbine prototype, fresh off the production line, can be used in onshore, offshore and inter-tidal wind farms, Tao Gang, vice-president of Sinovel Wind Group Co. Ltd. said. It is the first of its kind produced in the country. Previously, Germany was the only country capable of independently developing the turbine -- the largest in terms of capacity in the world -- and is the only country to have tested the prototype in the natural environment. With 128-meter blades in diameter, the prototype has greater wind capturing capacity and is more efficient at utilizing wind resources than other turbines, said Tao. (Further details in source: Xinhua net) China will expand solar power China will issue a five-year proposal to guide the country's renewable energy development, in which the goal for installed generating capacity of photovoltaic (PV) power is set at 10 gigawatts, China Securities Journal reported. The report said the draft for the 12th Five-Year Plan period (2011-2015) has been submitted to the State Council for approval. The goal for solar power capacity generation is double that submitted in an earlier version. Industry insiders said the plan also will promote the related industries such as polycrystalline silicon and PV component sectors, the newspaper reported. The insiders also said China should give support to its PV industry and expand the domestic market, because it relies heavily on exports and will lose competitiveness when the importing country gives subsidies to its domestic PV sector. (Source: China Daily) China's strides in solar tech debated at Asia Solar Energy Forum "Although Chinese companies do not own the world's most advanced solar energy technologies, their technological level is above the global average. Furthermore, China is rich in silicon and quartz and has built a complete industrial chain in the solar energy sector. The solar energy industry has huge potential in China," said You Zhenzhong, deputy chief operating officer of Trina Solar, a Chinese manufacturer of photovoltaic modules, at the Third Asia Solar Energy Forum in Bangkok, Thailand in late May. Many officials, experts and scholars at the forum agreed that accelerating the development of solar energy is an important part of China’s economic restructuring. The country’s solar energy industry is progressing toward the forefront of the world. Although it enjoys broad prospects, a number of problems such as low electricity storage technology remain to be solved as soon as possible. (Further details in source: People) High-Efficiency CIGS Thin Film Solar Cell Researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong have developed Cu(InGa)Se2 (CIGS) thin film solar cells with high efficiency and that can be made inexpensively. Led by Prof. Xudong Xiao and Prof. Quan Li of the Department of Physics, the researchers achieved a conversion efficiency of 17% with a CIGS solar cell that is thin and portable. Thin-film solar cells can be installed on roofs and outer walls and can also be integrated into consumer products such as handbags and backpacks for charging electronic products instantly. (Further details in source: CAS) New Breakthrough Made in Energy Storage Battery Research According to the Dalian Physics and Chemical Research Institution of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, its self-developed energy storage battery has been in failure-free operation for 1,400 days and successfully completed a 10,000 charge-discharge circulation in the test evaluation period. Currently the evaluation system is still in operation. Experts say that the successful development of the energy storage battery will play a crucial role in popularizing wind energy and solar power and achieving energy conservation and industry transformation goals. (Source: CAS) Miscanthus Adapts An article in the current issue of Global Change Biology Bioenergy finds that natural populations of Miscanthus are promising candidates as second-generation energy sources because they have genetic variation that may increase their stress tolerance. Sustainable, large-scale bioenergy production requires domestication that develops crops capable of producing sufficiently high biomass on marginal and degraded land. (Further details in source: CAS)_______________________________________ Transport (including aeronautics) Airlines battling costly EU plan The China Air Transport Association has said it and its airline members do not acknowledge the European Union's Emissions Trading System (ETS), something they say would cost them billions of yuan each year. "If the EU insists on carrying out the plan, the association will strongly recommend that the Chinese government takes even harsher counter-measures against flights in and out of China operated by airlines from EU member countries," the association said in a statement. (Further details in source: China Daily) Home Made Unmanned Helicopter A V750 helicopter, the largest unmanned helicopter in the country jointly developed by Weifang Tianxiang Aviation Industry and Qingdao Haili Helicopter, made its successful maiden flight in Weifang on May 7, 2011. Converted from a two-seat manned B2B airplane, the unmanned model is designed with a takeoff weight of 757kg, a payload up to 80kg, and the maximum level flight speed up to 161km per hour over a maximum range up to 500 kilometers for 4 hours or longer. (Further details in source: MOST) China eyes Russian helicopter cooperation W