Last July, the Internet Society of China and the China Academy of Information and Communication Technology (CAICT) jointly released a report on China’s “smart plus” social development indices, which established a comprehensive and pioneering assessment system for the application of smart technologies, to further promote the construction of smart cities. As the craze for autonomous driving continues, Zhejiang has announced the province’s first provincial-level demonstration zone for driverless vehicle and smart travel. “AI + the Internet of Things” makes everything connected, which will soon become a new focus for competition among world tech giants involving scientists from every coutry.
In an Internet-dominated economy, China put the improvement of chip design and manufacturing on the agenda due to trade frictions between America and China. In addition to Huawei’s Kirin chip, ZTE has also announced its development of a 5nm 5G chip. In terms of operating systems, Huawei’s HongMeng system is ready to be put into use.
In addition, blockchain technology has begun to make great changes in the world. According to the 2019 white paper on blockchain released by CAICT, there are now more than 18,000 open blockchain patent applications globally, with China accounting for more than half.
Last year witnessed China make new breakthroughs in several hi-tech fields. The Chang’e-4 lunar probe made a historic touch down on the far side of the moon, carrying cotton seeds that overcame the challenges of low gravity, strong radiation, and big temperature differences on the moon and budded, becoming a miracle of life created by human beings on a celestial body. The Long March 11 carrier rocket was successfully launched from the sea. The first high-speed maglev train rolled off the production line in Qingdao, capable of traveling at speeds of up to 600 kilometers per hour, leading the world in key technologies. Chinese and French nuclear enterprises have formed a consortium to build the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor in France, setting a precedent for China’s participation in the construction of large-scale international nuclear research facilities. The Haihong shield tunneling machine realized the change of tools on the cutter head at normal pressure on a relatively small plate, which made it possible to construct longer submarine tunnels. In terms of new energy utilization, new energy vehicles have come to the center stage. In addition to the rapid development of batteries, combustible ice, and a newly discovered high-temperature dry-hot rock mass may become an important alternative energy source.
According to the Global Innovation Index Report 2019 released by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), China is the 14th in the global innovation index ranking, becoming the only developing economy in the top 20. China has demonstrated its innovative strength in a number of fields. In terms of the number of domestic patents, industrial designs, and trademarks, as well as the net export of hi-tech products and creative products, China is at all the world forefronts. In the field of innovation, China’s output is similar to that of Germany, U.K., Finland, Israel, and the U.S., but its input is much smaller. Moreover, in the latest ranking of the world’s largest science and technology clusters, the United States, China, and Germany make it to the top three.
China has realized that the intellectual property rights (IPR) system is the basic guarantee of innovation. In 2020, it aims to make achievements in important areas of IPR reform and to further improve its IPR authorization and protection system, which is expected to be efficient and ruled by law. In this way, the environment for innovation and entrepreneurship will be further improved.
