Energy, environmental protection and water resources technologies top the agenda for China's international science co-operation in the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-10), according to a document released by the Ministry of Science and Technology yesterday.

The Outline of the 11th Five-Year Plan of International Science Co-operation states that technologies in the three areas have become bottlenecks in China's economic development, according to Minister of Science Xu Guanhua.

"Breakthroughs in the three sectors are also urgently needed for building a harmonious society," he told China Daily.

"Clean" energy technologies such as clean coal and the comprehensive utilization of oil and gas are given top priority in the outline.

Shang Yong, the vice science minister, told China Daily that China is poised to join FutureGen, an initiative by US President George W. Bush to build a giant coal-using, emission-free electricity plant.

International nuclear energy development, such as the US$12.8 billion International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor as well as collaboration in energy and resource saving, are stressed in the outline.

Environmental protection technologies are given an unprecedented emphasis in the outline, such as those dealing with urban air pollution, heavily polluting industries and refuse recycling.

The focus of water resource technologies will include those for water conservation, use of sea water and prevention of river pollution.

The country is facing a critical water shortage partly as a result of rising pollution accidents. Severe toxic spills into rivers occurred several times in the past year.

A chemical leak into the Songhua River in Northeast China last November forced water supplies to be cut off for millions of people along the river.

Besides technologies in the three areas, the outline gives emphasis to food safety, development of an environment-friendly agricultural industry, and medical solutions for chronic and epidemic diseases.

"The improvement of people's health is a primary goal," said the outline.

Source: China Daily