According to the statistical communiqué, the expenditure on research and development (R&D) activities for the whole country was 236.7 billion yuan in 2005, up 20.4 percent over the previous year, accounting for 1.3 percent of the national GDP. Of this, 13.5 billion yuan went toward basic research. At the end of 2005, there were 27.2 million professionals and technicians working in state-owned enterprises and institutions. The country implemented 288 projects under the National Key Technologies R&D Program and 911 projects under the Hi-Tech Research and Development Program (863 Program). The year also saw the establishment of 19 national engineering research centers and the initiation of 16 projects on updating key national laboratories, which numbered 143. The number of valid, enterprise-based technical centers at national level stood at 361 by the end of 2005. Through the year, 36,000 scientific research results were recorded at or above provincial or ministerial level. Altogether 476,000 patent applications were received from domestic and overseas applicants. Of these, 80.5 percent or 383,000 were domestic applications. A total of 173,000 patents were authorized, of which 93,000 or 53.8 percent were from domestic applicants. A total of 265,000 transfer of technology contracts were signed, involving a transaction value of 151 billion yuan, up 13.2 percent over the previous year. China also successfully launched five satellites in 2005. The successful launch of the Shenzhou-6 manned spaceship reflects China's achievement in some key science and technology fields.

At the end of 2005, China had 18,932 institutions responsible for the inspection of manufactured products, including 293 national inspection centers. There were 177 institutions involved in the certification of product quality and systems and they certified products from 47,000 enterprises. China's 4,037 authorized measurement inspection institutions enforced compulsory inspections for 34.91 million measuring instruments. A total of 1,304 national standards were formulated or revised, including 673 new standards. Its meteorological observatories of various kinds stood at 9,881 and of these, 7,246 were automatic observatories. There were 258 meteorological observatories with radar installations and 440 with satellite cloud map receiving stations. There were also 1,253 seismological monitoring stations and 31 remote monitoring network stations. Marine observation and monitoring spots numbered 8,376. Surveying and mapping departments published 1,667 kinds of maps and 497 titles of survey books.

National Science and Technology Conference

The National Science and Technology Conference was held in Beijing in January 2006. During the conference, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao announced the national science and technology awards for 2005. Academicians Ye Duzheng and Wu Mengchao won China's top science and technology award. More than 300 projects won the first and second prizes in the National Natural Science Award, the National Technology Invention Award and the National Technology Progressive Award categories. Five foreign experts were recognized for international scientific and technological cooperation.

Guidelines on Medium- and Long-Term Program for Science and Technology Development

In January 2006, the State Council issued the National Guideline on Medium- and Long-Term Program for Science and Technology Development (2006-20). It aims for R&D development expenditure of 2.5 percent of GDP and a 60 percent contribution of science and technology to national development by 2020. The country's reliance on foreign technology will be brought down to 30 percent and below over the same period. The aim is also that the number of patents granted to Chinese nationals and their academic essays will rank among the top five in the world.

The general objective of China's scientific and technological development by 2020 is to strengthen innovation, basic research and advanced technologies and thereby provides a solid basis for China to become a strong country in science and technology by the middle of this century.