Top science advisers list China's 19 priority projects for next decade

China's top science advisers have listed 19 projects as the research priorities of the next decade. They include quantum telecommunications and a high-performance jet engine that could drastically improve the capacity of its indigenous fighter jets.

The report written by more than 200 experts at the Chinese Academy of Sciences paints an ambitious road map for the nation's science development, as Beijing tries to break the dominance of Western countries. These top-priority projects include military, space, new materials, energy and agriculture.

The most eye-catching one is a new jet engine that promises to deliver thrust equivalent to 15 times its own weight. The thrust-to-weight ratio is a key indicator to measure a jet engine's performance. In comparison, the Pratt & Whitney F119 turbofan engine used in the United States' F-22 raptor fighter has a thrust-to-weight ratio of eight and is widely considered one of the most advanced jet engines today.

Engine technology is widely known as the weakest link in China's aviation sector. The country to date has had to rely heavily on foreign imports, particularly from Russia, to power its fighter jets. The new engine mentioned in the CAS report surprised many people and caused much scepticism.

Professor Tao Zhi , an expert in jet engines at Beihang University and chief scientist of several military jet engine research projects, confirmed the project but said he was surprised the CAS had made it public. "It is a top-secret project. Anything about it is hush-hush," he said.

Tao said the US had been working on a similar project. China had to come up with something "fundamentally different" if it were to catch up with the US, which led China in the field by at least a generation.