Fu Congbin, chairman of the Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) of Monsoon Asia Integrated Regional Study (MAIRS), told Xinhua Saturday, he and his colleagues had found out that the most serious dry area in China was the semi-arid area in the northwest, also the northern boundary of summer monsoons, indicating a correlation.

    Scientists under MAIRS, the first project on climate change initiated by Chinese scientists, had been following monsoon activities in the semi-arid areas of northwestern China for about a year to find out how the Asian monsoon system copes with changes in land coverage, water resources and air quality resulted from industrialization.

 &nb...]]> Science Sat, 29 Nov 2008 02:04:18 +0800 /articles/08/1128/164802/MTY0ODAy2NNzUlbo.html Science Fri, 28 Nov 2008 08:11:35 +0800 /articles/08/1128/164795/MTY0Nzk1LVauCDpc.html Chinese scientists have discovered the oldest known turtle fossils and revealed the origin of the turtle's shell. This discovery was reported in the latest issue of Nature.

    Entitled "Climate Change and the Role of the Water Cycle", the seminar is co-organized by the Research Councils UK (RCUK), the Monsoon Asia Integrated Regional Study (MAIRS), and the EU funded integrated project Water and Global Change (WATCH) with an aim to enhance collaborations between Chinese and European scientists on climate change and water cycles.

    Chris Godwin, director of the RCUK office in China said: "China is the UK's fastest-growing partner in science research, but there's much room for increasing impact of works co-authored by Chinese and UK scientists."

    Fu Congbin, chairman of the scientific guidance commi...]]> Science Mon, 24 Nov 2008 21:06:48 +0800 /articles/08/1124/163962/MTYzOTYyS5q0Frrd.html In this photo distributed by China's official Xinhua news agency, Chinese Long March-4B carrier rocket with satellite 02B blasts off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province on Wednesday September 19, 2007. China launched the third earth resources satellite jointly developed by China and Brazil to take high-definition photographs of the earth's surface on Wednesday morning.(File Photo)

    Li Xiaoqiang, chief of publicity section with the Yellow River Conservancy Committee, made the remark over the phone while commenting on the fact that pollution had spread to one third of the Yellow River system.

    With a mainstream of 5,464 km, the Yellow River, billed as the "mother river" of China, originates from Qinghai province, flows eastward through Sichuan and Gansu provinces, Ningxia Hui and Inner Mongolia autonomous regions, and Shaanxi, Shanxi and Henan provinces before emptying into the Bohai Sea from Shandong Province in east China. It has 35 main tributaries.

    The Yellow River Conservancy Committee said in a bulletin releas...]]> Science Sun, 23 Nov 2008 21:06:39 +0800 /articles/08/1121/163677/MTYzNjc3sGSlWqr9.html     BANGKOK, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- The International Award Committee of the Prince Mahidol Award Foundation of Thailand announced Friday three professors from China, Brazil and Japan, respectively, have won its 17th Prince Mahidol Award for 2008.

    The Prince Mahidol Award 2008 in the field of medicine is conferred on Professor Sergio Henrique Ferreira from University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and the Prince Mahidol Award 2008 award in the field of public health is jointly awarded to Professor Michiaki Takahashi from Osaka University, Japan and Professor Yu Yongxin from the Chinese National Institute for the Control of Pharmaceutical and Biological Products, announced Voradet Viravakin, chairman of the Sub-Committee on Public Relations of the Prince Mahidol Award Foundation.

    According to the award committee, there were a total of 49 nominations from 19 countries contesting the awards in ...]]> Science Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:07:02 +0800 /articles/08/1121/163548/MTYzNTQ4KWBNFHyD.html     SHANGHAI, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- China has started developing a new turbo-propelled regional aircraft Modern Ark 700 (MA 700) for the high-end international market, announced an executive of China's leading aircraft manufacturer on Wednesday.

    This new generation, updated from the MA 600, will be more energy-efficient and fit for high altitude aviation, said Geng Ruoguang, vice general manager of China Aviation Industry Corporation I (AVIC I).

    The 70-seat MA 700 regional aircraft, developed by Xi'an Aircraft Industry Company (XAC) of AVIC I, is expected to be marketable in 2014, Geng told a forum on international commercial aircraft.

    "MA 700 targets high-end customers in the international market. We hope it will receive the airworthiness certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the Unit...]]> Science Thu, 20 Nov 2008 21:08:53 +0800 /articles/08/1120/163487/MTYzNDg31AYAKrls.html ;Liang Jianping, a leading veterinary pharmacist with the Institute of Modern Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said on Wednesday that his research team produced zero-residue milk at an experimental dairy farm by using herbal medicines to treat mastitis (an inflammation of the udder) and endometritis (an infection of the uterus).

"The milk was supplied to yogurt manufacturers, and the yogurt produced was sold to restaurants and hotels at a price about twice that of regular yogurt," said Liang.

Researchers used the anti-bacterial herbal medicine Liu Qian Su, which is extracted from the plant genus madder. It can be metabolized in a few hours and leaves no harmful residues in milk or other food, according to Liang. ...]]> Science Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:04:20 +0800 /articles/08/1120/163322/MTYzMzIyHQopXo02.html     NANJING, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese and foreign experts on Thursday announced the discovery of an unexpected surplus of high-energy, cosmic ray electrons, which could change the current understanding of the universe.

    Dr. Chang Jin, an astrophysicist at the Purple Mountain Observatory in China's eastern Jiangsu Province, along with his foreign counterparts, made the discovery using the Advanced Thin Ionization Calorimeter (ATIC).

    That's an instrument sent on helium balloons to measure the composition and energy spectra of cosmic rays from 35 kilometers above Antarctica.

    The electrons, about 300 to 800 giga electron volts, were believed to be from a previously unidentified source close to the Earth's solar system.

    According to Chang, the electron excess cannot be explained by the standard model of cosmic ray origin, in whic...]]> Science Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:08:09 +0800 /articles/08/1119/163263/MTYzMjYzvSUAXOGG.html The Xuelong is bringing supplies and equipment to Zhongshan Station. But recent storms-caused thick ice forced the ship to reduce speed about 60 kilometers away.

    The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) General Office of Academic Divisions said here Wednesday that 12 out of the 15 newly elected are CAS members and one from the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE).

    Dr. Yang Pan-Chyr and Dr. Lee Der-Tsai from Taiwan are fellows of the Taipei-based Academia Sinica.

    The CAS members are: Chen Xiaoya, director of Plant Physiology and Ecology Institute, the CAS Shanghai Institute of Biological Sciences; Meng Anming, professor of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology Department, Tsinghua University; Yang Huanming, professor at the CAS Beijing Genomics Institute; Zeng Yixin, president of Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center; Cao Yong, professor of Polymer ...]]> Science Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:07:04 +0800 /articles/08/1119/163154/MTYzMTU0GKbA9nfw.html The CMA said it would actively sell data and services provided by the satellite to domestic and overseas users. It supplies a wide range of information in areas including meteorology, sea, water conservation, transportation, agriculture, forestry and aviation.

The satellite has been operating smoothly for four months after being sent into orbit on May 27, said CMA head Zheng Guoguang.

Being an important provider of meteorological information, the satellite played a key role during the 2008 Olympics, according to the CMA. It provided detailed mapping of the algae outbreak at the sailing competition site in Qingdao, and closely monitored typhoons during the flood season.

Feng Yun-3 A is listed by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) as ...]]> Science Wed, 19 Nov 2008 03:02:02 +0800 /articles/08/1119/163153/MTYzMTUzZtgvDyr8.html The Chinese Antarctic Research Team has arrived in Antarctica and is moving steadily towards Zhongshan station. The team is on its 25th expedition to the polar continent.

The Chinese Antarctic Research Team has arrived in Antarctica and is moving steadily towards Zhongshan station.

The Chinese ship Xuelong, or "snow dragon", has carried members of the 25th Chinese Antarctic Research Team through ice to reach the southernmost continent. After one month, the icebreaker has finally arrived in the icy region... with about four hundred and fifty kilometers to go until it reaches China's Zhongshan Station.

Almost the entire ocean surface is covered by ice. The ship has to move slowly, at only 22 kilometers per hour. But the journey isn't lonely with animals such as seals and penguins frequently seen moving across the ice.

Xuelong crew member...]]> Science Wed, 19 Nov 2008 03:01:57 +0800 /articles/08/1119/163109/MTYzMTA5BUtqWbTQ.html     PORT LOUIS, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- An advanced scientific research ship from China has anchored at Port Louis, Mauritius for supply following its over 30,000-sea-miles (55,560 km) sailing since May.

    Dayang Yihao, or Ocean No.1, arrived here last Saturday from Auckland, a port city north of New Zealand, after a 39-day journey, during which it stopped several times for research activities, Captain Cao Yezheng told Xinhua on Tuesday.

    "We need supplies of diesel, drinking water, food and fruits in order to continue our research work southwest of the Indian Ocean," Cao said,

    The ship, one of the most modern deep-sea research ships in the world, left Guangzhou, southern China, on May 22, having visited Micronesia, Ecuador and New Zealand before it reached Mauritius.

    Cao said the journey from New Zealand to Mauritius was the most di...]]> Science Tue, 18 Nov 2008 21:06:30 +0800 /articles/08/1117/162727/MTYyNzI3wOcTOqqF.html     BEIJING, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Scientific and technological awareness has been increasing among the Chinese people, according to a survey released on Sunday.

    The survey by the Chinese Association for Science and Technology (CAST) reveals that people with basic science and technology knowledge account for 2.25 percent of the total population of 1.3 billion, compared to 1.6 percent in 2005 when a similar survey was last conducted.

    The survey covers 10,080 people, aged between 18 and 69, from 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities on the Chinese mainland.

    Carried out from December 2007 to February 2008, the survey indicates 18.4 percent of the Chinese people understood scientific terms, 33.5 percent understood scientific methods and 59.4 percent understood the relation between science and society.

    The responden...]]> Science Mon, 17 Nov 2008 02:05:28 +0800 /articles/08/1113/162195/MTYyMTk1HHJUel0u.html China will launch a second lunar probe, Chang'e-2, before the end of 2011, an official said on Wednesday, while announcing the start of the second stage of the country's moon mission.

Chang'e-2, part of the second phase of the Lunar Probe Project, will conduct experiments involving five core technologies such as orbital  adjustments and soft landings, according to Chen Qiufa, director of the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense.

China publishes its first full map of the moon surface in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 12, 2008, about a year after its first lunar probe -- Chang'e-1 -- was launched. (Xinhua/Li Xiaoguo)Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists revealed the country's first full map of the moon's surface on Wednesday, more than a year after the launch of its first lunar probe, Chang'e-1.

    The picture of the moon surface, unveiled on Wednesday, covered the complete range of areas on the moon surface, according to the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, which is in charge of the country's moon program.

    Scientists created the map with the image data captured by th...]]> Science Wed, 12 Nov 2008 12:08:05 +0800 /articles/08/1112/162091/MTYyMDkxiodH47G7.html Science Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:28:48 +0800 /articles/08/1112/162090/MTYyMDkwE820H7QO.html Science Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:25:32 +0800 /articles/08/1112/162085/MTYyMDg1QHB1fgYL.html
]]> Science Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:15:20 +0800 /articles/08/1111/161887/MTYxODg3b0HSnUOV.html
]]> Science Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:58:29 +0800 /articles/08/1111/161800/MTYxODAw92UnBPPJ.html Chinese navy ship (CNS) Zhenghe arrives at the Bangkok Port, Thailand, Nov. 10, 2008. CNS Zhenghe entered the Bangkok Port on Monday morning starting its four-day official visit to the Thai capital. CNS Zhenghe was put into service in 1987 and had visited the United States, Thailand, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and Russia. (Xinhua Photo) ]]> Science Tue, 11 Nov 2008 03:05:24 +0800 /articles/08/1110/161713/MTYxNzEzCqMDuAiw.html Science Mon, 10 Nov 2008 13:24:36 +0800 /articles/08/1110/161633/MTYxNjMzSQf6hGYB.html
]]> Science Mon, 10 Nov 2008 07:06:01 +0800 /articles/08/1110/161552/MTYxNTUyoZf8aIgP.html     ZHUHAI, Guangdong, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- The 7th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, also known as Airshow China, concluded here Sunday with deals of 102 aircraft inked, the organizer said.

    Some 4 billion U.S. dollars worth of deals were signed at the six-day event held in the coastal city of Zhuhai in south China's Guangdong Province, a spokesman with Airshow China's Organizing Committee said.

    Among the deals, the Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (COMAC) will sell 25 ARJ21-700 regional jets to GE Commercial Aviation Services of the United States. The deal is valued at 5 billion yuan (733 million U.S. dollars). The first jet will be delivered in 2013, with one per month thereafter.

    COMAC Board Chairman Zhang Qingwei said it was the first time Chinese-developed and manufactured regional jets have entered Western airline markets. ...]]> Science Sun, 09 Nov 2008 21:06:25 +0800 /articles/08/1107/161347/MTYxMzQ32R1IdAih.html Aircrafts of the Suryakirans (Sun Rays), the aerobatic team of the Indian Air Force, show stunts during the 7th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, south China's Guangdong Province, Nov. 6, 2008. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan) ]]> Science Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:59:06 +0800 /articles/08/1107/161301/MTYxMzAx5hxAiMCo.html
]]> Science Fri, 07 Nov 2008 08:20:39 +0800 /articles/08/1107/161278/MTYxMjc4eehxgmyI.html Science Fri, 07 Nov 2008 07:14:43 +0800 /articles/08/1107/161254/MTYxMjU0nMDKLBw8.html Science Fri, 07 Nov 2008 03:25:13 +0800 /articles/08/1107/161239/MTYxMjM5t97BrWT2.html China's Lunar Exploration Program began with the successful launching of Chang'e One and has continued with the ongoing development of Chang'e Two.

    The space industry is taking off, thanks to the 30-year-old Reform and Opening-up Drive, said Zhou Jianping, chief designer of the manned space program.

    China established its space sector in the 1950s, an era of difficulty and hardship.

    It wasn't until 1960 that China was able to launch its first domestic liquid-fuelled rocket from a primitive facility that resembled an ancient winch.

    In the intervening years, the space sector developed slowly because of financial constraints and political turmoil, particularly the catastrophic Cultural Revolution (1966-76). During that period, there were five space launches.

 ...]]> Science Wed, 05 Nov 2008 21:07:27 +0800 /articles/08/1105/160944/MTYwOTQ0jc1B50xL.html By Yu Zheng, Xu Xuedan

    BEIJING, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- A giant surrealistic tower, erratically skewed, points at the sky on top of a 960-meter hill 170 kilometers northeast of Beijing.

    The white structure, with a wide dome at its lower end, looks more like a missile silo. Chinese scientists have built the world's most powerful optical telescope in a research base of the National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC), expecting to unravel the mysteries of the universe.

    The advanced astronomical facility, which cost 235 million yuan (34.4 million U.S. dollars) from the national research fund, has an effective aperture of over four meters, the biggest of its kind in the world, and 4,000 optical fibers that can simultaneously track space and decode starlight into enormous amounts of spectrographic data.

    With its specification...]]> Science Wed, 05 Nov 2008 12:07:44 +0800 /articles/08/1105/160900/MTYwOTAwFtRMSGAr.html     BEIJING, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- China will start its jumbo aircraft development program with a 150-seat model, one of the world's most popular types of jet, according to Zhang Qingwei, board chairman of Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC).

An Airbus A380, the world's biggest jumbo jet, takes off on its first commercial flight from Singapore October 25, 2007. China will start its jumbo aircraft development program with a 150-seat model, one of the world's most popular types of jet, according to Zhang Qingwei, board chairman of Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC).(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)Photo Gallery>>>

    The aircraft will be designed and assembled in Shanghai, but will source parts and components globally, which is a model adopted by the two air dominant groups, Boeing and Airbus, Wu Gua...]]> Science Wed, 05 Nov 2008 07:06:52 +0800 /articles/08/1105/160899/MTYwODk5D47GDaof.html     JIUQUAN, Gansu, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday morning put two satellites into orbit after they were successfully launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.

    Chuangxin 1-02 and Shiyan Satellite 3 were launched on a Long March 2D carrier rocket.

    The smaller satellite, the Chuangxin 1-02, developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, will be used to collect and relay hydrological and meteorological data and data for disaster relief.

    The Shiyan Satellite 3 will be used for experiments on new technologies in atmospheric exploration, according to its main developer, the Harbin Institute of Technology.

    The launch was the 112th of China's Long March series of rockets.