The government will invest 8 billion yuan (US$963 million) in agricultural development during the 10th Five-Year Plan (2001-05) period. The amount is three times that of the Ninth Five-Year Plan (1996-2000) period, the Ministry of Science and Technology said.

The money will be used to cultivate high-yield rice and maize and soybean to raise their output, Minister Xu Guanhua said at a national conference on science and technology development. It opened Wednesday in Beijing.

The money will also be used on water-saving technology for agricultural production throughout China, Xu said.

In addition, 20 agricultural science parks will be set up in different provinces to help teach new farming skills to growers.

Efforts also will be made to develop technology-driven agriculture in poor central and western regions of the country, Xu said.

The minister also said the Chinese Government will launch 12 scientific projects this year involving the development of large-scale integrated circuitry and computer software, electronic administrations, functional genes studies, electricity-powered motor vehicles as well as the development of new medicines.

More than 5 billion yuan (US$602 million) will be spent on these projects in the next five years, Xu said.

Moreover, the Chinese Government will open key national basic research and high-tech programs to foreign scientists for joint development.

Furthermore, the ministry will allocate 100 million yuan (US$12 million) annually over the next few years to support major international scientific co-operative plans, according to the ministry's Department for International Co-operation.

China has established scientific agencies in 60 countries or regions. These agencies are encouraged to help widen State-level and provincial-level scientific co-operative programs with other countries, department officials said.

Another 800 million yuan (US$96 million) will be spent upgrading the manufacturing industry via information technology, Xu said.

He said the ministry will mobilize colleges and universities, research institutes and scientists to promote the public's understanding of science through film and TV programs.

The ministries of personnel and science and technology will award 47 work units and 77 individuals nationwide Thursday for their outstanding performance in scientific development in the last two years.

(China Daily January 2, 2001)