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China’s Communist Party
ChinaPolitics

China to boost basic research in natural resources on its path to tech self-reliance

  • Ministry of Natural Resources guidelines reveal aim to work in global community, explore deep environments and boost scientist incentives

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China’s Ministry of Natural Resources’ new policy guidelines include a commitment to deep-earth and deep-sea exploration and securing resources and the environment in the polar regions. Photo: Xinhua
William Zheng
The Chinese government has pledged to support a wide range of basic research related to natural resources to support its goal of turning the country into a science superpower.

The objectives are among the Ministry of Natural Resources’ new policy guidelines to strengthen fundamental research released by the ministry on its official social media accounts on Wednesday.

Beijing’s top leaders last month committed to building China into a major world science power by 2035, acknowledging that science and technology will be key drivers for the world’s second-largest economy as it faces external and internal challenges.

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The pledge came as China and the US compete in several arenas, including geopolitics, trade and technology. Beijing has repeatedly pledged to be self-reliant in key technologies in the face of growing efforts by Washington to limit China’s access to advanced technology in the US.
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The ministry vows to actively work with the global basic research innovation community by taking part in major international projects, such as Digital Earth, research on negative ocean emissions technology, deep-sea habitats and seamless forecasts for the ocean and climate.

It said China would actively take part in important international science programmes – such as the International Continental Scientific Drilling Programme, the International Ocean Discovery Programme as well as joint laboratories and research centres – and would support international organisations and well-known scientific research institutions to set up branches in China.

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The ministry would also encourage regular exchanges and joint work on research projects with scientists from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

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