The deep and high seas (including the polar regions) contain huge amounts of natural resources, and occupies many important strategic channel nodes, which is of great importance to the security and economic development of all countries over the world. General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly stressed in his speeches to prioritize the development of the marine industry, and pointed out that "the marine industry has a stake in the survival and development of a nation, as well as the rise and fall of the country's security.” It has been clearly advanced in the "14th Five-Year Plan" and the ‘Outline of the Long-Range Objectives through the Year 2035’ that a number of forward-looking, strategic national major science and technology projects will be implemented aiming at the deep and high seas frontier areas.
How to put the plan into effect as soon as possible to lift the "containment” on China? During the two sessions, the reporter connected with He Jianzhong, a member of the National Committee of CPPCC, president of CIN and former vice minister of the Ministry of Transport of the People's Republic of China.
Strengthen inter-ministerial cooperation to build an industrial ecosystem
"Compared with the leading international level, there are gaps in China's systematic detection and monitoring capabilities, data collection, analysis and exploitation capabilities, and comprehensive forecasting capabilities for the global deep and high seas and polar environment. We have not been able to fully realize the detection, real-time monitoring, systematic analysis and forecasting of the deep-sea environment." He Jianzhong said, when it came to China’s current capability to explore deep and high seas environment.
It is understood that the Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology have previously set up a number of R & D special projects focusing on the development of key technologies and equipment for deep sea/polar navigation, but there are problems such as cross-projects or repeated-projects, lack of systematic layout, poor sharing of R & D information and results. As such, he suggested that we need to establish an inter-ministerial coordination mechanism among the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Natural Resources and other relevant ministries and commissions, scientifically coordinate scientific and technological strengths and resources of all parties to jointly develop R & D planning from the perspective of national strategy, and systematically build the technological development path and industrial ecosystem in deep and high seas navigation equipment manufacturing and security assurance technology, so as to promote the development of technology and industry at a fast pace.
Accelerate the construction of equipment and make breakthroughs in key technologies
The development of the deep and high seas is inseparable from the support of navigation equipment. Due to late start in R&D of deep and high seas navigation equipment, China lacks sound technology chain and industry chain, as well as independent supporting capacity. And China especially lacks the capacity of systemic independent design and manufacturing of major equipment, such as large liquefied gas vessels, ultra-large ocean-going navigation equipment, deep-sea resource exploration and development systems and supporting equipment, saturation diving systems and deep submersible and other deep-water search and rescue equipment, high ice class ships and polar major equipment.
To make up for the weakness, President He suggested that we should focus on accelerating the R&D of deep and high seas navigation equipment, security and environmental protection emergency response and salvage and rescue equipment, communication and navigation systems, and key supporting equipment for navigation. "It includes large liquefied gas vessels, deep submersibles, polar heavy icebreakers, polar life-saving equipment, and special propulsion units and systems.", said He Jianzhong.
In addition, in terms of key technologies and security measures, He Jianzhong believed that our country's technical standards for deep and high seas navigation equipment and security assurance are imperfect. We have less say in setting the international standard to support the needs of independent design and manufacturing, and we lack security assurance means of deep and high seas navigation and resource development. Therefore, he suggested that we should accelerate making breakthroughs in key technology in the area of deep and high seas navigation equipment and security assurance. In terms of key technology research, he recommended that the state should list it as a science and technology special project to be chiefly supported so as to further promote researches on deep and high seas security assurance technology, digital and intelligent technology of navigation and security assurance, as well as the standardization of the standard system and engineering software technology.
From: China Communications News