863 Program

Named after its date of establishment (March 1986, 86/3 by the Chinese date format), the 863 Program was proposed in a letter to the Chinese government by scientists Wang Daheng, Wang Ganchang, Yang Jiachi, and Chen Fangyun and endorsed by Deng Xiaoping. After its implementation during the Seventh Five-Year Plan, the program continued to operate through the two five-year plans that followed, with state financing of around 11 billion RMB and an output of around 2000 patents (national and international). In 2001, under the Tenth Five-Year Plan, the program was reevaluated in consultation with foreign experts. The result was a widened focus to strengthen the competitiveness of China in the global economy. The evaluation practice has been included into the program as a project management system. ==Outline==

The program initially focused on seven key technological fields: • Biotechnology • Space • Information technology • Laser technology • Automation • Energy • New materials Since 1986, two more fields have been brought under the umbrella of the program: • Telecommunications (1992) • Marine technology (1996) It included substantial support for the advancement of optics and optoelectronics. == See also ==