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10
Conclusions and Recommendations
In the past 10 yew, and particularly since 1986, China has made great
progress in developing Me capacitor for biotechnology research, which will lead
eventually to its application and commercialization. Funding has been increased
to an absolute level "mater than Mat in any over developing country and to a
relative level (adjusted for gross national product) that compares favorably with
Hose in many developed countries. A competitive granting system that includes
peer renew has been established to allocate these funds. New laboratories have
been built and equipped with modern instruments. A substantial number of
research groups routinely use sophisticated technologies ranging from DNA
cloning to x-ray crystallography. Large numbers of scientists have been sent
abroad for advanced Paining, and many of them have returned to China. Scientific
productivity, as judged by the number of articles and journals published and the
number of scientists actually engaged in research, is on the rise.
Despite these advances, China's level of biotechnology research and
development remauns id below that in developed counties. In basic research,
Chinese scientists operate at an international level in only a few scattered areas.
Genetics, first undermined by Lysenlooism, Men stalled was most science
by Be CultuIal Revolution, is now too often bypath in favor of applied genetics
like gene cloning. The literature survey revealed a paucity of developmental
biology papers, which indicates a bias against using biotechnology to advance
understanding of He basic knowledge of genetic expression and regulation Hat
governs organisms' development. In applied research, He majority of projects
are derivative or outright imitations of Western investigations. For example,
75
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76
BIOTECHNOLOGY IN CHINA
more Man one-half of the applied genetics research articles surveyed described
Be cloning of genes already sequenced and published in intemadonal journals.
Me Chinese government's insistence on funding research of such low originality
has led to a large and lamentable waste of rare resources. How, ~en' can China
ensure that recent improvements in biotechnology funding and support ultimately
Slate into improved research and technology? Although most of the suggestions
below are neither novel nor supposing, Hey are sufficiently important and useful
to bear mentioning.
· Policymakers should recount at He pits for ~=ovadve and productive
molec''1ar biology applications are dependent on a sound understanding of and
training in He sciences of genetics and molecular biology. Educational and
insd~tional reforms should be supported to bolster Paining in the basic sciences
of biotechnology.
· A better balance between basic and applied research should be sought. The
best basic projects should be supported by large grants; conversely, bad or
derivative projects should not be funded solely because Hey are applied. This
could be accomplished by setting aside a certain percentage of High Technology
Program or Seventh 5-Year Plan funds for basic research or by giving NSFC a
separate budget for large basic grants.
· Administers should realize tom support of biotechnology represents a
long-term investment and should not expect research units to become self-
supporting. Even in the United States, where more Han $3 billion is spent
annually on biotechnology, few biotechnology companies operate at a profit.
Early withdrawal of support will result in wasted time and money.
· Downstream processing facilities should be subject to accountability and
progress assessment as conditions for Emancial support Large capital expenditure
pearls should be based on definite product idendfication. Budget allocations to
facilities lacking these considerations would be better spent on the continued
support and enlargement of key laboratories at centers that have a demonstrated
capacity for high-level research.
· The procurement system new to be reformed to ensure that scientists have a
flexible and Pliable supply of He materials necessary to pursue research efficiently.
In this context, giving scientists direct control over their grant funds should be
cons
· Continued international coope~radon at the governmental, academic, and
commercial levels should be encouraged.
· The development of joint and Chinese ventures to produce biotechnology
reagents should be continued and expanded.
· The protection of intellectual property rights should be improved to encourage
foreign invesunent
· Safeguards against scientific fraud should be instituted.
· Chinese scientists should take greater advantage of the accessibility of most
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CONCWSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
77
materials published In international journals, Ocularly DNA clones and cell
lines. This would prevent much duplication of efforts
· The offering of special inducements to students and scientists returning from
abroad should be continued and expanded
· Certain measures concerning the return of students and scientists are
counterproductive and should be eliminated. These include He restnction against
leaving China for 2 to 3 years after completing a B.S. or M.S. degree, a period of
the glee est creativity and productivity for many young scientists; the attempt to
limit postdoctoral fellowships abroad to 1 yew., a period too short to accomplish
much wow of significance; and joint Ph.D. programs (which involve coursework
in China and limited subsequent research abroad) ~ allow student to learn
techniques without understanding Heir scientific bases.
What are He pros and cons of the Unity States providing further s~port for
biotechnology in China? On He positive sits, China has a rich float and fauna
and a long history of traditional medicines Hat may eventually provide useful
resources for American biologic s and biotechnology entrepreneurs. China also
represents a potentially huge market for biotechnology products, Educed either
win licensed Ethnology or through joint ventures. But perhaps Be most important
cons~deradon is also the simplest: China has a population of over one billion,
nearly one-fifth of Be global population, and it is a developing count. For these
reasons, China is an important test case for the successful application of
biotechnology to meeting economic development goals and basic human needs an
developing counties. In this crucial way, Chinese biotechnology gold can and
should diverge from those of developed counties.
On the negative side is He unfortunate conclusion of this report, namely, Eat
He Chinese goverrunent has opted to attempt a direct replication of Westem
biotechnology rawer than to support the basic, innovative research that is essential
to tailor biotechnology to China's needs as a developing county. Because of the
lack of emphasis on basic research, China is at risk of developing a cadre of
highly Hind technically competent scientists who understand the mechanics of
biotechnology, but not Be underlying science or the road ahead. Unless corrected,
this deficiency will ensure Hat Chinese biotechnology will remain an expensive
but nonproductive acuity poor recompense for He great effort and expenditures
of the past decade. The root cause of this problem is government policy, in
particular, He insistence that science generate eaniings, and, moreover, do it in
short order. In the past few years, many Americans have been lulled into thinking
that China Is becoming progressively less ideological and political. In fact,
today's idea of "serving the economy" is no less rigorously pursued than was the
idea of "serving the people" during the antingh~st c~npaugns and the Cultural
Revolution.
Within this context, how can He United Sates help to improve Chinese
biotechnology and related research to the ultimate benefit of both China and
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78
BlOTEC~NOl-OGYIN CHINA
itself? Below are listed several ideas for bow govemment-sponsored and individual
activities.
· Funds should be sought to continue combined laboratory and lecture
minicourses such as Me ones cosponsor by CSC PRC and CAS. I hey represent
a unique oppormni~r to in~duce Chinese scientists to bow the technologies and
philosophy of modem biological science, particularly in areas mat are weak in
Ch~a, such as gene regulation and developmental biology. It Is essential that
Hey be held on a continuous basis at a dedicated facility; only then will it be
possible to achieve Be goal of full Chinese palpation In t~hing these courses.
· A low cost but potentially productive activity Fat Be CSCPRC should
consider would be sponsorship at a U.S. facility in Beijing of a lecture series on
the ffonders of biology. Periodically, (one to four dines a year) prominent
American and Chinese scientists would lecture on the most recent advances in
basic and applied biology. A major aim of this progr~un would be to foster
contacts and interactions among Chinese scientists who, at present rarely go
outside their own workplace and who often Gil to inform "outsiders" of visits by
scientists from abroad Amencan participants could be drawn from the pool of
visiting U.S. scientists who pass Trough Beijing, thereby avoiding any outlay for
Ravel funds. Chinese lecturers could be nominated by Chinese universities, CAS,
or venous ministries and state commissions.
· Appropriate anonyms should bepromoed for science policy discussions among
visiting scientists, Heir Chinese counterparts' and Chinese government and Park
officials. Discussions should expand understanding of the fact~s that determine
a sound end productive science research in~astruc~e and adminis~ion. Special
efforts should be made to engage senior policy planners in such forums as a way
to outline and emphasis ways Hat government policies help or impede scientific
p~gres;s.
· Additional research on the biological and agncul~ral resources of China
should beconduc~ While this repast uncovers only a few exciting developments
in Chinese biotechnology, it should be remembered Hat He findings center on
modem research technologies Rat are almost exclusively imported from the
West Inspection of China's more traditional biotechnology areas would be
useful, e.g., aguaculture, drought- and cold-resistant fruit varieties, high-nutrition
rice vanedes, fennentadon of farm by-products, and testing of traditional medicines
for unexpected activities, e.g., against the AIDS virus.
This is a critical period for He development of biotechnology, biology, and all
science and technology in Chum. Some important administrators are now taking
the view Hat enough money }ms already been spent on biotechnology and Hat
research centers and programs should "sink or swim" on Heir own. But others
take He more farsighted view Hat China should continue to fund and improve its
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CONCWSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
79
research capacity, especially in He basic sciences, so Cat when biotechnology
finally does realize its potential, China will be well placed to reap its benefits.
Regardless of which policy is adopted, American sciends~individually or
Trough governmental, academic, and commercial groups will have many
oppor~ides to collaborate win Bed Chinese colleagues to advance biotechnology
in China and worldwide.
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Representative terms from entire chapter:
chinese biotechnology
