Comparison of the Ministry of Science and Technology’s 11th and 12th Five Year Plans for S&T
Development1
Prepared for the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA)
Overview
The main emphasis of the 11th FYP was on creating a policy environment that promotes S&T innovation
and development, both by identifying and eradicating existing policies that impede innovation, and by
establishing new policies that promote technological growth and development. The introduction section
of the 11th FYP focuses on “breaking through” various policies that create bottlenecks impeding
technological innovation, or that do not conform to a market or business-oriented model of
development. Another major emphasis of the 11th FYP is on “institution building,” in the form of
educational facilities, R&D centers, and other institutional platforms. The plan also focused on
strengthening institutional coordination and establishing cooperation/integration mechanisms to
advance development, productivity and efficiency.
The main focus of the 12th FYP is to strengthen the country’s original innovation capacity and its
international competitiveness in high-tech sectors through industrial upgrading, technology
accumulation, and achieving major breakthroughs in key technical fields.
Strategic Focuses
The areas of strategic focus are nearly the same in the 11th and 12th FYPs. The biggest change is greater
specificity in the strategic areas, and focus on achieving breakthroughs, rather than establishing basic
R&D efforts. The section on Integrated Circuit (IC) manufacturing is a much more detailed area of
strategic focus in the 12th FYP than in the 11th, indicating greater governmental push for domestic
improvement in this area. Another key difference is the removal of the Earth observation system and
manned space flight and lunar exploration as key areas of strategic focus in the 12th FYP. Please see
Appendix A for a comparison of the 11th and 12th FYP areas of strategic focus.
Key Technology Major Project Areas
The 12th FYP differs from the 11th FYP in more clearly delineating seven key technology project areas in
which China seeks to accelerate development and implementation. These areas are:
1) Energy-saving and environmental protection (including semiconductor lighting)
2) Next generation information technology (next-generation communication networks, Internet of
things, network convergence, high-performance IC, and high-end software)
3) Biotechnology
1
The 11th FYP (Chinese version) can be found online at
http://www.most.gov.cn/tztg/200610/t20061031_37721.htm
The 12th FYP (Chinese version) can be found online at
http://www.most.gov.cn/tztg/201107/t20110712_88217.htm
4) High-end manufacturing (aeronautics and astronautics, marine engineering equipment, high speed
rail, high-end smart equipment)
5) New energy
6) New materials
7) Clean energy vehicles (hybrids, electric).
The 11th FYP highlights many of these areas, but in a less streamlined fashion. Key technology project
areas in the 11th FYP include:
1. Energy sector
2. Resources
3. Environment
4. Agriculture
5. Manufacturing
6. Materials
7. Transportation
8. Information and modern service industries
9. Public health
10. Public security
11. Urbanization and urban development
12. High Tech industrialization
Energy Efficiency
The 12th FYP is significantly more detailed in scope and involves a wider range of project areas for
enhancing energy efficiency compared to the 11th FYP. Specific projects related to energy efficiency in
the 12th FYP include:
1. Semiconductor Lighting: Develop white light emitting diode (LED) preparation, light source
system integration, large metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) equipment, and
other technical innovations to enhance semiconductor lighting applications. Accelerate the
“10,010 Cities” semiconductor lighting pilot demonstration to achieve more large-scale
application. Achieve 30% share of domestic semiconductor lighting market, push China’s
semiconductor lighting industry into top 3 in the world.
2. Clean and efficient use of coal: Breakthoughs in underground coal gasification, low temperature
catalytic gasification of coal methanation, and other methods.
3. “Blue Sky Project:” Reduce air pollution through R&D in indoor air purification technology and
equipment, greenhouse gas reduction, recycling technology and equipment.
4. Waste recycling:
5. Wind Power: Development of 5 MW or more wind turbine design and key components. Actively
promote 100 MW offshore wind farm demonstration, 10,000 MW onshore wind farm
development model to promote the offshore and onshore wind power industry.
6. Efficient solar energy: Development of large photovoltaic system design integration, efficient
low-cost solar cells, thin film solar cells, solar thermal power generation. Establish complete
supply chain for solar industry core technology, production process and equipment. Expand
implementation of the “Golden Sun” project and other demonstration projects.
7. Biomass energy: Develop biogas vehicle fuel, cellulose-based liquid fuel, biodiesel, fuel ethanol,
non-grain crops.
8. Smart Grid: Develop large-scale intermittent power grid and energy storage, high-density multipoint distributed current grid. Build a number of smart grid demonstration zones and other
intelligent demonstration projects.
Other aspects related to efficient energy utilization in the 12th FYP include:
 Enhancing the technical capacity of traditional energy exploration and development, developing
complex oil and gas exploration, focusing on development of coal gasification, liquefaction, coalbased chemical processing and other clean conversion technologies, developing energy-efficient
circulating fluidized bed power generation technology, smart grid, advanced nuclear power and
wind, solar, biomass, ocean, geothermal and other new energy technologies.
 Developing water resources and mineral resource development technology to improve resource
utilization efficiency.
The 11th FYP focused on three major projects in the area of energy efficiency.
1. Energy efficiency research and technology demonstration in building design. Reduce energy
consumption of new public buildings by 50%, reduce new building heating energy consumption
by 60-65%. Reduce electricity consumption of residential and small public buildings by 40%,
reduce electricity consumption of large public buildings by 60%.
2. High power wind turbine development and demonstration. Develop 2-3 MW wind turbines,
offshore test wind farms, and offshore wind power technology. Develop technologies necessary
to realize industrialization of 2 MW wind turbine industry. Create large-scale wind turbine and
testing system.
3. Focus on ± 800 kV DC / 1,000 kv AC extra high voltage transmission technology and equipment.
Conduct UHV AC and DC transmission theory and experimental research, master key technology
in UHV transmission, research and test methods for large power transmission equipment
manufacturing technology and technical progress.
Other aspects related to efficient energy utilization in the 11th FYP include:



Achieving breakthroughs in clean, and affordable energy supply and technologies; developing
multi-generation coal technology; mastering advanced clean coal power generation technology,
coal conversion technologies, pollution control and greenhouse gas mitigation technologies;
Achieving breakthroughs in water energy, wind power, biomass liquid fuels, solar power, and
other renewable energy sources;
Mastering special high-voltage transmission and network security technology to improve power
transmission capacity, efficiency, and safety; R&D in energy efficiency and demonstration of key
technologies; high-power wind turbine development and demonstration, ± 800 kV DC / 1,000 kv
AC extra high voltage transmission technology and equipment and other major projects.
IP Protection
Both the 11th and 12th FYPs emphasize strengthening China’s domestic IP regime. In the 11th FYP,
efforts to strengthen domestic IP rights were focused on the goal of protecting domestically
generated IP and enhancing the organization of their national level patent strategy. Key goals
related to IP protection were to build IP management capacity, strengthen research and
management, develop personnel trained in intellectual property management and counseling,
improve the IP public service platform, establish an intellectual property information and
management services platform. The 11th FYP mentions support for the National Science and
Technology Innovation Fund to finance programs and projects in cooperation with foreign countries
related to building independent intellectual property rights.
The 12th FYP lays out a more detailed strategy to further strengthen, expand and protect domestically
generated IP. The Plan outlines the goal of deepening implementation of their “National Intellectual
Property Strategy,” which outlines goals of enhancing IPR creation, utilization, protection and
management capabilities. China also seeks to further secure patented intellectual property related to
core technology through the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) international patent application. A major
push will be to guide enterprises in how to file patents, adopt intellectual property transfer, get licenses,
pledges, etc. Other key goals include establishing and/or improving cross-border mergers and
acquisitions, technology transactions, IP review mechanisms, national patent trend analysis, IP
management capacity, IP management training and talent, and the IPR public service system.
International and Inter-Governmental Cooperation
Both the 11th and 12th FYPs underscore the importance of foreign scientific and technology cooperation
to enhancing the nation’s independent innovation capacity. The 11th FYP provides a general outline of
China’s goal to actively participate in international and regional scientific projects and to engage in longterm scientific exchange with foreign universities, research institutes, and enterprises.
The 12th FYP substantially expands the goal of increasing the degree of internationalization of research
activities. In the Plan, China encourages researchers and R&D institutions to establish partnerships
within and outside China. China’s enterprises are also encouraged to carry out R&D outsourcing and
establish foreign R&D centers. China also seeks to encourage exchange and cooperation between NGOs
in the scientific and technological fields. Specific cooperation projects mentioned in the 12th FYP include
the US-China Clean Energy Center and the Regional Science and Technology Cooperation Center
(partnership with Central Asian and ASEAN states).
China also seeks to expand inter-governmental scientific programs, including the China-US Dialogue on
Innovation, cooperation between China and Russia, the EU Science and Technology Partnership, and
Japan and South Korean joint research programs. New to the 12th FYP is China’s goal of seeking closer
S&T cooperation, partnership, and tech transfer with developing countries in Africa, Latin America,
Southeast Asia, Central Asia. China also mentions providing training, funding, and other S&T foreign aid
to these countries to “strengthen their innovation capacity.”
APPENDIX A
Comparison of Areas of Strategic Focus in the 11th and 12th FYPs
Strategic Focus
Core electronics, high-end
general chips and basic software
products
11th FYP
R&D of microwave millimeter
wave devices, high-end general
chips, operating systems,
database management systems,
middleware.
Very large scale integrated
circuit manufacturing process
equipment
Achieve 90 nm manufacturing
equipment, R&D in 65 nm
manufacturing equipment
(prototype), breakthrough 45
nm. Initial establishment of
China’s IC manufacturing
innovation system.
Next Generation Broadband
Wireless Mobile Communication
Network
Focus on building low-cost, wide
coverage broadband wireless
system, focus on short-range
wireless Internet systems and
sensor networks, increase the
proportion of Chinese generated
IP, achieve commercial output of
greater than 1,000 billion yuan.
12th FYP
Achieve breakthrough high-end
chips, R&D of domestic selfcontrolled Central Processing
Unit (CPU), operating systems
and software platforms, new
mobile intelligent terminals,
high-performance embedded
CPU, system-on-a-chip (SoC) and
network software,
industrialization and highvolume applications
45-22 nm manufacturing
equipment research,
development of 32-22 nm
complementary metal-oxide
semiconductor (CMOS) process
technology, 90-65 nm features,
forward-looking study of 22-14
nm technology, formation of 6545 nm equipment materials,
establish technology support
capability and IC manufacturing
industry chain. Domestic market
share goals relating to
equipment and materials are 10
percent and 20 percent
respectively.
Prioritize evolution and
implementation of Time Division
Synchronous Code Division
Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA)
technology, complete R&D and
commercialization of Time
Division Synchronous Code
Division Multiple Access (TD-LTE)
and 4G technologies, enhance
domestic position in relation to
international standards, achieve
breakthroughs in mobile
Internet, broadband cluster
system, next generation wireless
LAN and core networking
technologies, promote
High-end CNC machine tools and
manufacturing equipment
Study 2-3 kinds of large, highprecision numerical control
machine tools and
manufacturing equipment:
Develop aviation, aerospace,
marine, automotive, energy,
equipment, and other critical
industry high-precisions CNC
machine tools and equipment.
Achieve breakthrough CNC
machine tool technology,
establish CNC equipment R&D
platform and training base.
Large oil, gas field, and coal-bed
methane development
Focus research on western oil
and gas located under
complicated geological
conditions, develop highprecision exploration and
mining technology for coal bed
methane and deep-sea oil and
gas extraction, focus on
autonomous design and
independent manufacturing
capabilities, increase proven oil
and gas resources by 10-20%,
increase oil recovery by 40-45%.
Large-scale advanced
pressurized water reactor
nuclear power plants and hydrothermonuclear technology
Strengthen accumulation and
adoption of imported technology
innovation and combine it with
independent research and
development. Achieve
breakthroughs in third
generation advanced pressurized
water reactor nuclear power key
technologies. Complete HTR key
innovation, IP creation, and
competitiveness.
Improve independent innovation
capacity of high-end CNC
machine tools and
manufacturing equipment,
implement host and control
systems, establish complete
industrial chain, increase
domestic market share of
Chinese made high-end CNC
equipment to 8-10%. Develop 40
kinds of large-scale precision
equipment, improve reliability of
CNC machine tools to greater
than 60%, meet basic
manufacturing needs of the
aerospace, marine, automotive
and power generation industries.
Enhance oil recovery, create an
internationally competitive
oilfield service industry,
strengthen oil and gas
exploration and development
geology theory, establish 13
major technologies for efficient
production of unconventional
natural gas, develop engineering
support for deepwater ships and
11 other types of major
equipment, build 8
demonstration projects, increase
flooding recovery of old oil fields
by 3-5%, improve offshore heavy
oil recovery polymer flooding by
5%, achieve overall technological
level of exploration and
development at or near the level
of international oil companies.
Achieve breakthrough HTR
technology, improve standards,
build technology platform to
enhance international
competitiveness of the nuclear
power industry.
Water pollution control and
treatment
GMO Cultivation
Development of major new
drugs
technologies.
Ecological function zoning,
controlling water pollution,
drinking water protecting,
treatment and delivery
technologies, pollution
monitoring, control, and water
quality improvement technology
systems.
Cultivation, cloning, develop
germplasm, establish China’s
GMO breeding system, create
100-150 new varieties of
transgenic crops, 30 or more
new varieties of transgenic
animals.
Chemical and biological drugs,
support development of China’s
Pharmaceutical Drug Discovery
technology system.
Prevention and treatment of
infectious diseases
AIDS, HIV, create vaccine
breakthroughs, independently
develop 40 kinds of high-specific
diagnostic reagents, 15 vaccines
and drugs.
Large aircraft and other projects
Create key technology to meet
domestic demand for towing
aircraft, carry out pre-research
Waste water treatment
technology, remote sensing
technology, R&D in early
warning monitoring equipment,
drinking water purification, pipe
network distribution, leak
detection equipment.
Achieve breakthroughs in gene
cloning, functional verification,
GMO, bio-security, and other key
technologies.
Develop 30 new drugs,
transform 200 types of drugs,
modernize Chinese medicine
techniques, establish a national
platform for drug innovation,
build strategic alliances within
the pharmaceutical industry to
promote innovation, enhance
R&D capabilities and industrial
competitiveness.
AIDS, viral hepatitis,
tuberculosis, and other major
infectious diseases, achieve
breakthroughs in detection,
diagnosis, monitoring, early
warning, vaccine development,
clinical treatment, and other key
technologies. Develop 150 kinds
of diagnostic reagents, obtain
certificate of registration on
more than 20, add more than 10
new vaccines into clinical trials.
Significantly improve overall
infection disease prevention,
control and emergency response
abilities by 2015, as well as
reduce prevalence and mortality
rates of AIDS, HIV and TB.
Organization and
implementation of large aircraft.
High-resolution Earth
observation system
Manned Space Flight and Lunar
Exploration
and demonstration of key
technologies. Establish Chinamade large aircraft system
integration, power system, test
system design, development and
manufacturing.
Development of satellite-based,
aircraft and stratospheric airship
advanced high-resolution
observation system.
Astronaut and spacecraft
rendezvous and docking
activities. Short-term manned
and long-term autonomously
orbiting space laboratories.
REMOVED AS STRATEGIC FOCUS
REMOVED AS STRATEGIC FOCUS