Extracts.
New Super Coal Mine in NW China Opens
A new super coal mine, the Huojitu Coal Mine, has been completed and
started operation recently.
The new coal mine is located in Zhongji, a town in Shenmu County in
northern Shaanxi Province. It is part of the Shenfu-Dongsheng coalfield
listed as one of the seven biggest coalfields in the world.
The ground-breaking for the new coal mine was done in 1993 with the
assistance of an energy loan by the Japanese government.
The total investment for the new mine is 1.88 billion yuan (some US$227
million), whose designed annual output is 5 million tons and the expected
service span is about 96 years.
****
Han and Tibetan People of Same Origin: Research A latest research on Man's
chromosome Y further proved an earlier theory that China's modern Han and
Tibetan people are of the same origin.
More than ten scientists, both Chinese and foreign, from Fudan University,
Yunnan University, Harvard, Stanford and some others took part in the
research. Through a comparison of the chromosome Y of Hans in 22 Chinese
cities and provinces with that of Tibetans in Yunnan, Tibet and Qinghai
they found that the two ethnic people share the same special chromosome Y,
a type rarely detected on other peoples throughout the world.
Chromosome Y is a kind of sex chromosome inherited in a patrilineal way,
which never regroups during inheriting process. So it is able to provide
steady and rich data on human being's inheritance. A study on it,
therefore, serves to directly reveal the origin and evolution of human
race.
At the beginning of the 80s, scientists found out that modern Han and
Tibetan people were much similar in inheriting features as blood type,
protein and so on. Basing themselves on this, they conclude that there must
be the same ancestry the two ethnic nationalities have come to share.
Linguistic studies also give their support to the theory. Linguists found
out quite early Chinese and Tibetan languages bear much similarity in
vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation, hence the Sino-Tibetan, world second
language family containing 360 different languages and further divided into
Chinese and Tibetan-Burmese branches used by most ethnic minorities in
Tibet and Yunnan Province.
After research on the chromosome Y of Sino-Tibetan people in China, Burma,
Thailand and India, scientists further found out Tibetan-Burmese and
Chinese peoples began to be separated from each other around 6000 to 10000
years ago in north China. Ancient Tibetan-Burmese people moved southward
from the upper and middle reaches of the Yellow River, and part of them
entered Yunan, southern Tibet, southeast and south Asia to become the
ancestors of today's Sino-Tibetan people living there. While the other
part, after being mixed with central Asian people, turned out to be the
ancestors of today's Tibetans.
This, in a view of molecular genetics, has proved the fact that modern Han
and Tibetan people are of the same origin providing direct evidence to
earlier theory, experts said.
****
Summary of the White Paper on China's Space Activities The Information
Office of the State Council published November 21 a white paper, titled
"China's Space Activities," which gives a brief introduction to the aims
and principles, present situation, future development and international
cooperation concerning China's space activities.
The white paper says that after the People's Republic of China was founded
in 1949, China carried out space activities on its own, and succeeded in
developing and launching its first man-made satellite in 1970.
China has made eye-catching achievements, and now ranks among the world's
most advanced countries in some important fields of space technology. In
the 21st century, China will continue to promote the development of its
space program in the light of its national situation, and make due
contributions to the peaceful use of outer space, and to the civilization
and progress of mankind.
According to the white paper, the Chinese government has all along regarded
the space industry as an integral part of the state's comprehensive
development strategy, and upheld that the exploration and utilization of
outer space should be for peaceful purposes and benefit the whole of
mankind.
The aims of China's space activities are: to explore outer space, and learn
more about the cosmos and the Earth; to utilize outer space for peaceful
purposes, promote mankind's civilization and social progress, and benefit
the whole of mankind; and to meet the growing demands of economic
construction, national security, science and technology development and
social progress, protect China's national interests and build up the
comprehensive national strength.
China carries out its space activities in accordance with the following
principles:
-- Adhering to the principle of long-term, stable and sustainable
development and making the development of space activities cater to and
serve the state's comprehensive development strategy;
-- Upholding the principle of independence, self-reliance and
self-renovation and actively promoting international exchanges and
cooperation;
-- Selecting a limited number of targets and making breakthroughs in key
areas according to the national situation and strength;
-- Enhancing the social and economic returns of space activities and paying
attention to the motivation of technological progress; and
-- Sticking to integrated planning, combination of long-term development
and short-term development, combination of spacecraft and ground equipment,
and coordinated development.
Regarding the development of the country's space industry, the white paper
says that since its birth in 1956, China's space program has gone through
several important stages of development: arduous pioneering, overall
development in all related fields, reform and revitalization, and
international cooperation.
According to the policy paper, China's space industry "has reached a
considerable scale and level." A comprehensive system of research, design,
production and testing has been formed. Space centers capable of launching
satellites of various types and manned spacecraft as well as a TT&C
(Telemetry Tracking and Command) network consisting of ground stations
across the country and tracking and telemetry ships are in place.
Furthermore, a number of satellite application systems have been
established and have yielded remarkable social and economic benefits. A
space science research system of a fairly high level has been set up and
many innovative achievements have been made. And a contingent of qualified
space scientists and technicians has come to the fore.
In the process of carrying out space activities independently, China has
opened a road of development unique to its national situation and scored a
series of important achievements with relatively small input and within a
relatively short span of time, the white paper says.
Currently, China ranks among the most advanced countries in the world in
many important technological fields, such as satellite recovery,
multi-satellite launch with a single rocket, rockets with cryogenic fuel,
strap-on rockets, launch of geo-stationary satellites and TT&C. Significant
achievements have also been gained in the development and application of
remote-sensing satellites and telecommunications satellites, and in manned
spacecraft testing and space micro-gravity experiments.
It recalls that China's first man-made satellite, the "Dongfanghong-I" was
successfully developed and launched on April 24, 1970, making China the
fifth country in the world with such capability. By October 2000, China had
developed and launched 47 satellites of various types, with a flight
success rate of over 90 percent.
China is the third country in the world to have mastered the technology of
satellite recovery, with the success rate reaching the advanced
international level, and the 5th country capable of developing and
launching geo-stationary telecommunications satellites independently. The
major technological index of China's meteorological and earth resource
satellites has reached the international level of the early 1990s.
China has independently developed the "Long-March" rocket group, containing
12 types of launching vehicles capable of launching satellites to
near-earth, geo-stationary and sun-synchronous orbits.
Since 1985, when the Chinese government announced putting the " Long-March"
rockets into the international commercial launching market, China has
launched 27 foreign-made satellites into space, thus acquiring a share of
the international commercial launching market. Up to now, the "Long-March"
rockets have accomplished 63 launches, and made 21 consecutive successful
flights from October 1996 to October 2000.
China has set up three launching sites -- in Jiuquan, Xichang and Taiyuan,
and meanwhile, the country has also established an integrated TT&C network
comprising TT&C ground stations and ships, which has successfully
accomplished TT&C missions for near-earth orbit and geo-stationary orbit
satellites, and experimental spacecraft. This network has acquired the
capability of sharing TT& C resources with international network, and its
technology has reached the advanced world level.
The white paper says that China initiated its manned spaceflight program in
1992 and its first unmanned experimental spacecraft -- "Shenzhou"-- was
successfully launched and recovered November 20-21, 1999.
China attaches importance to developing all kinds of application satellites
and satellite application technology, and has made great progress in
satellite remote-sensing, satellite telecom and satellite navigation.
Remote-sensing and telecommunications satellites account for about 71
percent of the total number of satellites developed and launched by China.
These satellites have been widely utilized in all aspects of economy,
science and technology, culture, and national defense, and yielded
remarkable social and economic returns.
The white paper goes on to say that with the establishment and improvement
of China's socialist market economic mechanism, the state guides the
development of space activities through macro-control, makes overall plans
for the development of space technology, space application and space
science, promotes the R&D and system integration of important space
technologies and the application of space science and technology in the
fields of economy, science and technology, culture, and national defense.
The state has also carried out reforms in the space science and technology
industry to achieve sustainable development of the space industry.
The state has strengthened legislation work and policy management, enacted
laws and regulations and promulgated industrial policies for the space
industry to ensure orderly and standardized development of space
activities. Research institutions, industrial enterprises, commercial
enterprises and institutions of higher learning are encouraged to make full
use of their advantages and participate in space activities under the
guidance of the state's space policies, according to the policy paper.
It makes it clear that the China National Space Administration (CNSA) is
China's governmental organization responsible for the management of
satellites for civilian use and inter-governmental space cooperation with
other countries.
The white paper maps out a blueprint for the future development of China's
space industry. The 21st century will witness vigorous development of space
activities across the world, it says, disclosing that China is drafting a
space development strategy and plans oriented to the 21st century according
to the actual demands and long-term target of national development to spur
the growth of the space industry.
The white paper lists the short-term development targets for the next
decade as follows:
-- To build up an earth observation system for long-term stable operation;
-- To set up an independently operated satellite broadcasting and
telecommunications system;
-- To establish an independent satellite navigation and positioning system;
-- To upgrade the overall level and capacity of China's launch vehicles;
-- To realize manned spaceflight and establish an initially complete R&D
and testing system for manned space projects;
-- To establish a coordinated and complete national satellite
remote-sensing application system;
-- To develop space science, explore outer space, and carry out pre-study
for outer space exploration centering on the exploration of the moon.
The long-term development targets for the next 20 years or more are as follows:
-- To achieve industrialization and marketization of space technology and
space applications;
-- To establish a multi-function and multi-orbit space infrastructure
composed of various satellite systems and set up a satellite ground
application system;
-- To establish China's own manned spaceflight system; and
-- To obtain a more important place in the world in the field of space
science with more achievements and carry out explorations and studies of
outer space.
Regarding China's international cooperation in the space industry, the
white paper says that China persistently supports activities involving the
peaceful use of outer space, and maintains that international space
cooperation shall be promoted and strengthened on the basis of equality and
mutual benefit, mutual complementarity and common development.
The Chinese government holds that international space cooperation should
follow the fundamental principles listed in the "Deceleration on
International Cooperation on Exploring and Utilizing Outer Space for the
Benefits and Interests of All Countries, Especially in Consideration of
Developing Countries' Demands," which was approved by the 51st General
Assembly of the United Nations in 1996.
According to the policy paper, China adheres to the following principles
while carrying out international space cooperation:
- The aim of international space cooperation is to peacefully develop and
use space resources for the benefit of all mankind.
- International space cooperation should be carried out on the basis of
equality and mutual benefit, mutual complementarity and common development,
and the generally accepted principles of international law.
- The priority aim of international space cooperation is to simultaneously
increase the capability of space development of all countries, particularly
the developing countries, and enable all countries to enjoy the benefits of
space technology.
- Necessary measures should be adopted to protect the space environment and
space resources in the course of international space cooperation.
- The function of the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs (OOSA)
should be consolidated and the outer space application programs of the
United Nations should be backed up.
According to the white paper, China's participation in international space
cooperation started in the mid-1970s. During the last two decades or more,
China has joined bilateral, regional, multilateral and international space
cooperation in different forms, such as commercial launching service, which
have yielded extensive achievements. Since 1985, China has established
long-term cooperative relations with a dozen countries.
China attaches great importance to space cooperation in the Asia-Pacific
region, the white paper says.
Regarding multilateral cooperation, China dispatched, in June 1980, an
observer delegation to the 23rd Meeting of UN COPUOS for the first time,
and on November 3, 1980, China became a member country of the committee.
Since then, China has participated in all the meetings of UN COPUOS and the
annual meetings held by its Science, Technology and Law Sub-committee. In
1983 and 1988, China acceded to the "Treaty on Principles Governing the
Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including
the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies," "Agreement on the Rescue of
Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts and the Return of Objects Launched
into Outer Space," "Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused
by Space Objects," and "Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into
Outer Space," and has strictly performed its responsibilities and
obligations. China also supports and has participated in the UN space
applications program.
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