Chinese Innovation Time

In 2017， the leading and supporting roles of innovation in Chinas economic and social development came into full force. For example， Chinas first self-developed and constructed aircraft carrier was transferred from dry dock into the water. The C919， Chinas homegrown large passenger plane， took off over Shanghai. And a team of Chinese scientists built the worlds first quantum computing machine that far transcends the abilities of classical and conventional computers. All these achievements testify to Chinas growing scientific and technological strength and innovative capabilities. In 2018， Chinas innovation-driven development is expected to reach new heights， and breakthroughs are expected in myriad realms， including the innovation environment， modes and subjects.

For starters， in terms of the innovation environment， China is presently evolving from a national innovation system to social innovation ecosystem. The concept of an innovation ecosystem is intended to optimally meet the requirements for fostering innovation. The international community believes that such a concept should be a basic tenet of a countrys innovation system.

Second， in terms of innovation modes， China is expanding from industry-university-research cooperation to collaborative innovation in a broader sense. Presently， Chinas industry-university-research innovation cooperation is carried out primarily at the micro level. Greater innovation resources in some key areas remain in the hands of the government. Thus， cooperation and coordination among various governmental agencies and institutions are especially important. In 2018， China will take greater efforts to establish and improve its innovation coordination mechanism.

Third， innovation subjects have changed dramatically in China over the past few years， expanding from exclusive innovation conducted by scientific research institutions to enterprise-led innovation and then to mass entrepreneurship and innovation. This trend will continue in 2018.

Fourth， in terms of innovation types， China will continue to focus on radical and disruptive innovation rather than standard innovation in 2018. Radical and disruptive innovation cannot be realized by a single agency， institution or small group of people—it requires nationwide efforts and governmental support.

Fifth， China will attach greater importance to the cultivation and training of innovative professionals in 2018. As early as 2016， China issued a guideline on deepening reform of professional development mechanisms. It pointed out that the country needed to improve its methods of supporting and cultivating strategic scientists and innovative research professionals. A strategic scientist is defined by whether his or her work could lead a specific field and whether he or she can identify the next major breakthroughs for the field. If a team has such a scientist or a leading sci-tech professional， it has a fair chance to reach the worlds top tier. Conversely， a good team can effectively support and help its leading scientists to better organize major projects and complete major research programs.endprint

Shibadong Village

Poverty Elimination Miracle

In February 2017， the Hunan Provincial Office for Poverty Alleviation and Development announced that all villagers in Shibadong， a mountain village in Huayuan County， had surpassed the poverty line set by the province， becoming one of the first once povertystricken villages to completely escape poverty. More than half of the population of Shibadong， primarily of the Miao ethnic group， used to suffer from poverty due to a severe shortage of arable land and poor transportation. In recent years， by developing five pillar industries， namely agriculture， ranching， Miao ethnic embroidery， labor services and rural tourism， the people of Shibadong are climbing together toward development and prosperity. In November 2013， Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the village where he proposed targeted poverty alleviation measures for the first time.

Du Jiangfeng

A Quantum Leap

In April 2017， Professor Du Jiangfeng from the University of Science and Technology of China led his team to realize quantum algorithms for prime factorization based on solid-state single spin system at room temperature for the first time， using spinning diamonds as the quantum processor. In recent years， quantum research has witnessed rapid development in China， making the country a global top player in this field. The achievements of Du and his team represent a significant step in Chinas quest to build solid-state quantum computers that operate at room temperature， and a major breakthrough for Chinas overall high-tech capabilities.

Wu Guanghui

Taking Off

On May 5， 2017， the C919， Chinas independentlydeveloped large passenger plane， took off in Shanghai， thanks in no small part to the efforts of its chief designer Wu Guanghui. The aircrafts successful maiden flight made China one of only a handful of jumbo jet producers worldwide， alongside the United States， Europe， and Russia. This medium/short-range commercial plane meets the latest international airworthiness standards， and China owns all of its intellectual property rights. The C919 not only catapulted China into the global aviation market as a strong competitor， but reinforced the countrys manufacturing and innovation sectors as well.

Dai Jianwuendprint

Medical Pioneer

In May 2017， renowned Chinese regenerative medicine specialist Dai Jianwu and his team announced that they developed a type of smart biological material that can specifically bind with growth factors or stem cells. They also pioneered never-before-seen clinical research on treating spinal cord injuries. The treatment of spinal cord injuries has challenged medical professionals around the world for decades， and effective treatment has yet to be developed. Dais research on biological materials for tissue regeneration and damaged tissue repair has produced amazing clinical results. His work is expected to bring new hope for victims of spinal cord injuries around the world.

Guo Xiaoping

AIDS Fighter

At the end of May 2017， Linfen Red Ribbon School in Shanxi Province was designated as the first site in the country for HIV students to take the gaokao， Chinas college entrance exam. Guo Xiaoping， former president of Linfen No. 3 Peoples Hospital， established Linfen Red Ribbon School in September 2006 and assumed the role of principal. Chinas only school for children with HIV/ AIDS， the red ribbon school was admitted to the national education system in 2011. There， kids receive both education and treatment. Through the work done at the school， more people have gained awareness about HIV/ AIDS and those suffering from the virus.

Lu Qi

All-in on AI

On July 5， 2017， Lu Qi， president and chief operating officer of Chinas top internet search engine Baidu， announced that that the company would open access to its autonomous driving platform Apollo. In this way， its partners in the auto industry would be able to use the platform to develop their own autonomous driving systems. The year 2017 brought rapid artificial intelligence （AI） development to China. Since Lu joined Baidu in early 2017， he has been accelerating the process of Baidus overall vision in its AI ecosystem， and made the Apollo platform one of Baidus key AI projects. For Baidu， opening up the autonomous driving platform to partners is a move to promote innovation and produce win-win results.

Yuan Longping

Cleaner Rice

In September 2017， Yuan Longping， known as Chinas “father of hybrid rice，” announced that he and his team developed a new kind of rice that stays free from cadmium pollution. To accomplish this goal， they removed the rice gene that absorbs cadmium. In recent years， rapid agricultural development in China has fueled huge demand for cleaner domestic agricultural products. This technology will largely solve heavy metal pollution problems plaguing some Chinese agricultural products.endprint

Xie Jun

Starry Skies

On November 5， 2017， China launched two BeiDou-3 satellites into space via a Long March-3B carrier rocket to support its global navigation and positioning network. Since then， Chinas self-developed BeiDou Navigation Satellite System， on which Xie Jun served as the chief engineer， officially began to expand into the global network. China plans to launch 35 BeiDou navigation satellites by 2020 to support its global navigation and positioning network.

Qian Dongqi

Robot Maker

In 2017， Ecovacs Robotics held its position as the industry leader in Chinas personal and household robotics market. On Singles Day （November 11）， Chinese consumers purchased 528 million yuan （US$80 million） of Ecovacs domestic robots online， breaking the industrial record again. Due to Chinas growing population of elderly people， market demand for domestic robots is expected to undergo explosive growth in the next few years. In terms of intelligent household robots， Ecovacs is one of the most popular Chinese brands and already has branch offices in the United States and Germany. Qian Dongqi， chairman of Ecovacs Robotics， founded the company in 1998.

Saihanba

Desert to Forest

On December 5， 2017， Chinas Saihanba afforestation community was honored with the annual United Nations （UN） Champions of the Earth Award， a top UN environmental distinction， for its outstanding contribution to the restoration of degraded landscapes. In February 1962， the Saihanba forest farm was officially established in Hebei Province， marking the dawn of Chinas afforestation efforts. Thanks to the efforts of three generations across more than 50 years， Saihanba has become the benchmark of harmonious coexistence between man and nature in China. There， deserts have been transformed into forests， which has received worldwide acclaim. Today， forest coverage in Saihanba sits at nearly 80 percent， and the restored ecosystem supplies nearly 140 million cubic meters of clean water to Beijing and Tianjin in addition to 545，000 tons of oxygen.endprint