China in Africa
A short profile of China’s Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, CASC
The State-owned space and defense company has over 170,000 employees, 8 own acadmies and a dozen listed companies. In revenues, it is number 4 in the world after Boeing, Airbus and Lockheed Martin. It is involved in the following activities.
Space missions.From 1978 – 1989, China conducted 16 space missions and all of them were satellite launches. During the 1990s, 39 carrier rockets were launched, and the last of them carried the first prototype of the Shenzhou spacecraft into space, opening China’s manned space age. From 2000 to November 2012, a total of 111 rockets sent hundreds of satellites, four manned spacecraft with eight Chinese astronauts as well as one space laboratory into space. In the past 6 years, 124 space launches were carried out.
Manned space missions. In October 2003, China carried out its first manned space mission, sending YANG Liwei to a 21-hour journey around the Earth in the Shenzhou V spacecraft. Till present, six manned space flights were conducted, totaling 68 days and circling the Earth 1,089 times. Chinese scientists have also launched a cargo spaceship to conduct several docking and in-orbit refueling operations with Tiangong-2, verifying technologies and equipment designed for space station.
Rockets. As the strongest and most technologically sophisticated rocket ever made by China, Long March 5 has a liftoff weight of 869 metric tons, a maximum payload of 25 tons to a low-Earth orbit, or 14 tons to a geosynchronous transfer orbit. The gigantic vehicle is tasked with transporting parts of China’s future manned space station and fulfilling Mars explorations.
Lunar and Mars missions. CASC started sending robotic probes to the moon in 2007 and carried out several lunar missions since then. It landed the Chang’e 3 probe, which carried the first Chinese lunar rover on the moon in December 2013. The company launched a relay satellite into space in May as the first step in the Chang’e 4 lunar mission, which will explore the far side of the moon and is scheduled to be made before the end of this year.
Navigation and positioning satellites.CASC has been working with Chinese space authorities to set up a vast navigation and positioning satellite network and a high-definition Earth observation satellite system. The Beidou network, mainly constructed by CASC, is one of the four space-based navigation networks along with the United States’ GPS, Russia’s GLONASS and European Union’s Galileo. Since 2000, when the first Beidou satellite was launched, 42 satellites have followed and several in them have already been retired. Beidou began providing positioning, navigation, timing and message services to civilian users in China and parts of the Asia-Pacific region in December 2012. China has planned to place 18 third-generation Beidou satellites into space before the end of 2018. According to government plans, the network will be made up of 35 satellites before the end of 2020 to give Beidou global coverage. CASC also cooperates with space departments in designing and establishing a space-based, high-resolution Earth observation network that has had eight satellites.
CAS news release, October 12, 2018
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Window-to-China
CAS Hefei Institute of Physical Science develops novel research reactor for biomass conversion
ZHAO Huijun and colleagues at the Institute of Solid State Physics has developed an instrument, in which three kinds of reactors (fluidized bed reactor, fixed bed reactor, and slurry phase reactor) can be integrated and connected in a serial or in parallel manner. The instrument can be applied to biomass catalytic conversion by gasification, pyrolysis, liquefaction, hydrolysis, bio-oil refinery and so on. The operation parameters can be adjusted in a wide range (reaction temperature 25-800 oC, and pressure 0-10 MPa). In addition, a software system for real-time monitoring and analysis of the reaction process is integrated. Thus, the instrument provides a research platform for the development and evaluation of catalysts in the process of biomass conversion.
CAS news release, August 29, 2017
Ningxia Environmental Protection Office admonishes 6 biomanufacturers for malodor.
The companies comprise pharmaceutical and fermentation companies, e. g., Ninxia Eppen Biotech Co., a major MSG producer. The authority reclaimed that malodorous gas pollution prevention and control facilities were imperfect, environmental management was lacking, and in one case a sewage treatment station was closed. The companies were admonished to speed up the progress of governance, in strict accordance with the Central Eigth Environmental Protection Plan, and complete by the end of this year measures for a comprehensive treatment of malodor.
China Bio news release, August 28, 2017
Chinese domestic antibody drug industry in 2017 counts 200 companies with 22 approved species and about 200 drug applications
Sina Publisher has published a detailed map on Chinese antibody producers. The authors come to the conclusion that a) the number of producers is consolidating, b) autoimmune diseases and cancer application accounts for 78% market share of antibody drugs, c) for the next 10 years, domestic producers will focus on the development of generic or me-better antibodies
China Bio news release, August 28, 2017
Blood glucose readers: Chinese startup VivaChek conquers sizeable share in POCT export market
Hangzhou VivaChek Co. was founded in 2013 by YANG Qinggang and WANG Chengchao and within two years succeeded to get certificates from US FDA, CE, Australia and other countries. In Germany, the company is certified by TÜV Rheinland. VivaChek at present sells 2 million sets of blood glucose meters annually, and its production line for test strips has a capacity of 300 million. The readers connect via bluetooth to smartphones and computers and allow interaction with doctors and blood sugar management apps. The Chinese point-of-care testing (POCT) market for blood sugar monitoring is over 50 billion Yuan.
China Bio news release, August 25, 2017
China rolls out Mars landing program.
According to the China National Space Administration, China plans to send a robotic probe to Mars around 2020. It will conduct scientific research on the soil and atmosphere and search for signs of water, The probe will consist of three parts－an orbiter, lander and rover. The rover will have six wheels and four solar panels, and will carry 13 scientific instruments, weighing about 200 kilograms. It will work 92 days on the planet, according to the probe’s chief designer. A larger probe will set off for Mars around 2030 to take samples and return to Earth. As to OUYANG Ziyuan, former chief scientist of China’s lunar program, robots will be essential in supporting human activity during Mars missions. As the Martian environment has low atmospheric pressure and low temperatures, robots can help astronauts produce and transport construction materials, build facilities and operate bases. In the long term, human explorers can figure out ways to increase greenhouse gases in the Martian atmosphere to warm up the planet and to melt ice on the surface. Then they can farm and mine from permanent bases.
CAS news release, August 28, 2017
CAS Shenyang Institute of Automation develops remote-control space robot
In a human-computer interaction demonstration experiment, a woodpecker-like sampling robot equipped with convolution neural networks (CNNs) was able to communicate with an astronaut who directed the robot by hand gestures.
CAS news release, August 24, 2017
China’s robot population is growing fast
Acording to Bloomberg, China bought 90,000 robots in 2016, nearly 1/3d of all robots sold that year. According tot he International Federation of Robotics, this number will nearly double to 160,000 in 2019. China still lags behind regarding robot density, with about 50 robots for every 10,000 workers, compared to the global average of about 75.
CAS news release, August 24, 2017
China’s bullet trains will soon run at top speed of 350 km/h
China’s most important train connection between Beijing and Shanghai will be served at a top speed of 350 km/h starting from Sept. 21, 2017, reducing the travel time to about four and a half hours for this 1300 km distance. The new Fuxing trains (“Renaissance”) have more arm and leg room, offer free Wi-Fi and better-placed charging plugs for phones and computers near the armrests instead of below the seats.
CAS news release, August 22, 2017
China Association of Precision Medicine and Cell Therapy formed in Beijing
The association has 86 members, of which 36 form a standing committee. The main task is to promote the clinical implementation of precision medicine. Within three years, 30 provincial and 300 urban stem cell laboratories will be built, in addition to a national cell repository, a national precision medicine database and a national cell therapy base.
China Bio news release, August 22, 2017
CAS Shanghai SIBS and Max-Planck-Institute for Molecular Genetics reveal genetic origin of sweet potatos
China produces annually over 100 million tons of sweet potato, 80 % of the world’s harvest. The plant’s genome is hexaploid. By phylogenetic tree analysis of homologous chromosomes, it was shown that about 500,000 years ago, a diploid and a tetraploid ancestor formed an interspecific hybrid leading to todays crop. The team used Illumina sequencing technology and developed a new set of polyploid haplotype analysis software.
China Bio news release, August 21, 2017
Shanghai team works on stem-cell based artificial liver, clinical tests with 5 Nanjing patients successful
Due to hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, fungal food poisoning and other factors, there is a relatively high level of liver failure in China leading to a high mortality rate. The group of Hui Lijian at CAS Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology http://www.sibcb.ac.cn/ePI.asp?id=124 has developed an extracorporal bio-artificial liver on the basis of allogenic hepatocytes developed from human fibroblasts (hiHEP”) which have been clinically tested on 5 patients in a Nanjing hospital since 2016. By end of July 2017, the condition of the patients had improved significantly, biochemical indicators, liver function and coagulation index had gradually improved, as had appetite and physical strength, and no adverse reactions were observed. The technology has been licensed to Shanghai Juwuel, http://www.juwuel.com, which has built a production line with an estimated annual output of 300 to 500 test units and expects to market the product within three to five years.”
China Bio news release, August 16, 2017
Fire-stopping polyimide foam from graphene and phosphorous
Jianxing GENG from the CAS Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry and colleagues have developed a non-burning polyimide foam that is strong enough to support a beaker of liquid weighing 6kg, but light enough to balance on a rose. Its flame-retardant properties come from 2% of red phosphorus-hybridised graphene produced by ball milling. The tiny phosphorus particles oxidise quickly when heated and promote char formation. Combined with graphene platelets, which are chemically stable even at high temperatures, the material forms an oxygen-proof layer on the surface. This stops the underlying material from burning.
CAS news release, August 15, 2017
China issues graphene industry white paper”, sees China as a future leader”
In 2015, the government has initiated a graphene industry technology innovation strategic alliance”, which has 53 members. The alliance is concerned with graphene technology, standards, patent issues, international cooperation and industry support and guidance. The 2016 annual report of the alliance concludes that at present some of the graphene companies have the ability to produce graphene powder, slurry, thermal film, functional coatings, inks and touch screens, but there is still room for improvement in product quality improvement and downstream market development – China’s domestic graphene industry has not yet formed a complete, mature industry chain. in 2014, China’s graphene market size was about 1.5 million US dollars but reached 16.3 million US dollars in 2015, with advances in graphene production and the expansion of downstream markets. It is estimated that by 2020 China’s graphene market size will reach 200 million US dollars, and will have become the world’s largest graphene consumer country.”
China Bio news release, August 15, 2017
Taiwan drafts cell and gene therapy law””
The Taiwan Food and Drug Administration has issued the draft of a Cell and Gene Therapy Product Management Act” which defines cell and gene therapy products, regulates the suitability of donors, and regulates security conditions. The draft is expected to be sent to the Executive Yuan by the end of the year. Before listing, cell and gene therapy products must pass three clinical trials and an audit, but under urgent circumstances (risk of life) a temporary license can be issued. “
China Bio news release, August 14, 2017
Shuwen Biotech will market German Sphingotec’s biomarker portfolio in China
The cooperation includes three tests in the field of intensive care, and four immunoassays on risk prediction in the field of breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. In intensive care, the cooperation is on biomarker-based detection of acute renal injury (AKI), vascular dysfunction and septic shock. Shuwen Biotech is a Sino-American company focused on molecular tests and in-vitro diagnostics; the Chinese affiliation is based near Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, http://shuwenbiotech.com
China Bio news release, August 14, 2017