(Yicai Global) May 17 -- China will substantially increase research funding, which will primarily flow to quantum control and quantum information, nanotechnology, and new energy vehicles, the Economic Information Daily reported.

China has unveiled three batches of main research activities under the National Key Research and Development Plan in rapid succession, which involve 237 projects under 16 special programs in such areas as high-tech and basic research, the newspaper said yesterday, citing sources from the ministry of science and technology. The total amount of research funding that will go into key areas will reach USD800 million.

Among the 11 special programs in the high-tech field, new energy vehicles will receive the highest amount of investment, with the three-year funding being CNY2.5 billion, including CNY800 million for this year.

Of the five special programs in the basic research field, the total three-year funding for nanotechnology, and quantum control and quantum information will hit CNY1.7 billion and CNY1.6 billion, respectively. The stem cell and transformation research project will be provided a research funding of CNY600 million for this year and CNY2 billion for the three years to come.

The National Key Research and Development Plan covers the original National Basic Research Program (973 Programs), National High Technology Research and Development Program (863 Programs), National Key Technology Research and Development Program, International S&T Program of China (ISTCP), Industrial Technology Research and Development Funds, and Special Fund for Scientific Research on Public Causes.

The areas such as stem cells, nanometers and quantum are important foundations in the fields of life sciences, materials, and communications and will be increasingly important in the future competition, said Li Hongjun at the Science and Technology Development Research Institute of China Agricultural University.

"Similar to the chip research, the research in these basic fields must be attached greater attention so as to study original important theory and material technology products with independent intellectual property rights," he said.

Editor: Mevlut Katik