On April 26, while visiting the Wuhan Fiber Home Technologies Group, Xi Jinping said, “The optical communications industry is very important. To build a nation that is an Internet power, we need to accelerate the pace and quickly occupy some commanding heights.”

“In the past, by tightening our belts and gritting our teeth, we built ‘two bombs and one satellite!’” Xi said, (referring to a Mao-era weapons development program), “This was because we made the best use of the socialist system — we concentrated our efforts to get great things done. The next step is to do the same with science and technology. We must abandon fantasy and rely on ourselves.”

On the morning of the April 26, Xi Jinping went to the Wuhan Xinxin Integrated Circuit Manufacturing Co., Ltd. to look at the integrated circuit production line. Xi said, “in order to realize the ‘bicentennial goal (by 2050),’ we must overcome difficulties on our own so as to have some major core technologies. We have unprecedented opportunities and are facing unprecedented challenges.”

Source: Xinhua, April 26, 2018
http://www.xinhuanet.com/2018-04/26/c_1122749077.htm

Will the United States launch a cold war of science and technology against China? Recently, in China, due to trade disputes between China and the United States, in many circles, independent innovation in the area of science and technology has become a topic of intense discussion. Why must China have the core technology of the information industry? Where is the road for China’s semiconductor chips? On April 30, a reporter from the Global Times conducted an exclusive interview of Ni Guangnan, an academician from the Chinese Academy of Engineering. Ni stated that China should learn this lesson: Do not expect the U.S. to sell its core technologies. The interview follows:

Global Times: The topic of Chinese chips has sparked an upsurge. The speed of the financing and launching of the project has accelerated significantly. How do you see this phenomenon? Any suggestions?

Ni: This is definitely a very good phenomenon. It shows that, from the government to the enterprises, they have all determined to break through.

In the international chip industry, the monopoly of oligarchs has long been formed and it is very difficult for small businesses to survive. In the end, ones developed chips might become useless. When it is necessary to break the monopoly, China cannot rely entirely on market laws; otherwise we cannot enter. Our country has always had the advantage of concentrating its efforts on doing big things. This advantage should be used well. After all, our investment is still too small compared to the international oligarchs in the chip industry.

Global Times: Why do we have to make our own chips and operating system? Many countries in the world do not have these core technologies.

Ni: It depends on what the goal of our country is. If it feels that it is enough to be a big country on the Internet, then we do not need to pursue any core technology. However, our goal is to become an Internet powerhouse. If we do not develop our own core technology, other countries will not let us catch up.

In short, about some things, if we feel they are inevitable, then early determination is better than late determination. Using the Beidou system as an example, we decided to develop it more than a decade ago. Now the Beidou system is very useful. If we had determined to engage in chip manufacturing more than a decade ago, we might already have our own chips and we wouldn’t be stuck with their sanctions.

Source: Globalview.cn, May 2, 2018
http://www.globalview.cn/html/societies/info_24322.html

In recent days, many provinces and cities in the northeastern region have issued emergency notices requesting the expansion of soybean planting areas. “(We should) treat the expansion of soybean planting area as the primary political task for current agricultural production.” At present, relevant documents in Heilongjiang Province and Changchun City of Jilin Province have been deleted from the official website.

According to the documents obtained by the Economic Observer Online reporter, on April 29, the Agricultural Committee of Heilongjiang issued an “Emergency Notice to Expand the Soybean Planting Area of the Province.” It stated that “the central government issued a directive asking our province to increase the soybean planting area by 5 million acres this year.” The task was assigned to a total of 15 cities, regions and agricultural forestry departments in the province.

Another document on April 28 from the Agricultural Committee of Changchun City, Jilin Province was the “Notice on Releasing the Soybean Planting Area of the Province in 2018.” The document requires the task of planting soybeans in the province be assigned to the city. It is to be fully completed and the project is to be effectively implemented.

The notice in Changchun City stated that “the relevant counties (cities) must take the initiative, actively shoulder the responsibility, and take the expansion of the soybean planting area as the primary political task for current agricultural production.”

Source: Economic Observer Online, May 3, 2018
http://www.eeo.com.cn/2018/0503/327737.shtml