Wang Rufang stated that basic research is a force that is advancing human civilization and is the source of innovation in science and technology.
China’s contributions to basic science research will serve as a foundation for its upcoming successes in the development of critically important technological advancements such as high-end semiconductors and chips according to science and technology experts who are members of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.
At the third group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee last month, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, emphasised the necessity of effectively bolstering basic research and strengthening the foundation of self-reliance and self-improvement in science and technology.
Many Chinese officials, experts, and researchers have called for accelerating the country’s technological advancements to end the shortage of high-end lithography machines, the necessary equipment for producing cutting-edge computer chips, in the face of ongoing United States sanctions and coercion in the semiconductor sector against China.
According to Wang Rufang, head of the research office of the Central Committee of the Jiusan Society and a member of the Standing Committee of the Central Committee of the Jiusan Society, basic research is a force that is advancing human civilization and is the source of innovation in science and technology.
“The more we care about innovation, the more we should invest in basic research.” The advancement of science in quantum physics and DNA at the beginning of the 20th century has demonstrated this ” he said.
Wang pointed out that major US companies like Intel, Motorola, and major labs came together to form an alliance that provided funding and coordinated hundreds of scientists for feasibility research in order to pave the way for advancements in the development of 193-nanometer chips.
“Then the Dutch company ASML, a leader in lithography machines, was successful in turning research and studies into products. As a result, it is clear that the development of the lithography machine was made possible by a significant advance in basic science research as well as in particular fields like mechanics, optics, electronics, automation, and software ” he added.
When delivering the report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China last year, Xi stated that high-quality development is the main task of constructing a modern socialist country in all respects. Wang Guilin, deputy director of the Guangdong Provincial Committee of Jiusan Society and director of the Guangzhou Science and Technology Bureau, pointed this out. Science and technology “should support and lead high-quality development,” he said.
As a developing country, the country has adopted a typical path to achieve its economic takeoff over the more than 40 years of its reform and opening-up, making breakthroughs at three levels one after another.
He pointed out that production, technologies, and science were involved. By following this path, China has developed into a significant player in the global manufacturing industry. However, this path is insufficient to enable China to become a significant manufacturing pioneering nation, according to the expert, “because its basic science, which lags behind the existing pioneering countries, constitutes the bottleneck for achieving this major breakthrough”.
“China has to take a reverse path: Effectively develop its scientific research, then give a push to its technology research and development, and then its high-end production sections,” he continued. “This bottleneck must be addressed in order for China to achieve high-quality development and become a real pioneering country in manufacturing.
Zhang Fulin, a member of the Jiusan Society’s Standing Committee and the director of the Central Committee’s Political Participation Department, stated that China, as a responsible major nation, will undoubtedly support basic science research in order to contribute Chinese wisdom to resolving the common issues and challenges that humanity faces.