Sci-tech

Worlds First Quantum Communication Satellite

China will launch its first experimental quantum communication satellite in July， according to an announcement in late May by the Chinese Academy of Sciences （CAS）.

This will be the worlds first satellite that can achieve communication between space and the Earth， Professor at the University of Science and Technology of China Pan Jianwei said.

Quantum communication provides ultrahigh security， because a quantum photon can neither be separated nor duplicated. It is hence impossible to wiretap， intercept or crack information transmitted through it， Pan said.

The CAS project includes the launch of a satellite and also the building of four earth stations and one space quantum teleportation experiment station. Upon completion， the satellite will be able to establish quantum optical links simultaneously with two earth bases thousands of kilometers apart. Chinese scientists have taken five years to develop and manufacture the first quantum satellite.

Over 30 Beidou Navigation Satellites to Launch in Coming Five Years

China plans to launch more than 30 Beidou navigation satellites during the 13th Five-Year Plan period （2016-2020）， so capping its three-step strategy to build a global navigation system by 2020. The self-made and independently-operated system is compatible with other satellite navigation systems in the world. China has so far launched 22 Beidou satellites. The next launch will take place in the second half of 2016， so promoting its service performance in the Asia-Pacific region.

The first batch of 18 satellites will be launched before 2018 to serve countries along the route of the Belt and Road Initiative， said Ran Chengqi， director of the China Satellite Navigation Office， during the China Satellite Navigation Conference that convened in May.

China has grasped high-precision satellite networking， but the accuracy and stability of the Beidou system must be improved， said Ran， adding that international cooperation will be of help to the nascent navigation system.

In addition to cooperating with the U.S.， China also reached agreement with Russia to make the Beidou and Glonass satellite navigation systems compatible， said Ran. He added that Beidou has as well successfully synchronized its frequency with the EUs Galileo navigation system.

China Rolls out Three-year Program for AI Growth

China will boost the growth of artificial intelligence （AI） in the next three years， according to an “Internet Plus AI” action plan jointly issued in May by departments including the National Development and Reform Commission， Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

The country aims to build standard AI industry systems and relevant innovative services， and make breakthroughs in basic core technologies， in an effort to be in line with global AI industry by 2018， the plan said.

China has been promoting the robotics industry as it strives to upgrade its manufacturing sector and cope with labor shortages. The plan also includes key sectors such as intelligent home appliances， smart automobiles， and intelligent wearable devices.

Government departments will map out supportive fiscal policies for the plan and boost international cooperation in this regard， the plan said.

UNEP： China on Course to Attain Ecological Renewal

An estimated 23 percent of Chinas total land mass will be covered by forests by 2020， if it implements the ambitious goals spelt out in its ecological civilization blueprint， said a recent UNEP report entitled“Green Is Gold： The Strategy and Actions of Chinas Ecological Civilization.”

Launched in Nairobi， headquarters of the UNEP， the report analyzes the environmental dimension of Chinas 13th FiveYear Plan， and concludes that Beijing is on course to attain ecological renewal. It indicated that， besides expanding forest cover， China is committed to reducing water and carbon footprints through adoption of cleaner technologies. China has pledged to reduce water consumption by 23 percent and energy consumption by 15 percent in a bid to cut down on carbon emissions， according to the report.

“If China succeeds in implementing targets outlined in its ecological civilization blueprint， it will have taken a major step towards shifting to a greener economy，” UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner remarked.

The UNEP report noted that by 2014， China had built 10.5 billion sq m of energysaving buildings in urban areas， and disclosed that between 2011 and 2015， Chinas production of energy efficient vehicles increased 45-fold. China， according to the UNEP report， has also built the largest air quality monitoring network in the developing world.

Steiner commented that China has set ambitious green goals that should be replicated in other parts of the world. “There has been unprecedented progress in policy reforms that have accelerated green transformation in China，” said the UNEP chief.