China will construct its first Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) facility in Dongguan, a city in south China's Guangdong Province.

On completion, the facility will be used for neutron-scattering research and development. Pulsed neutron beams can be used to study the structural properties of a wide range of materials.

The facility will take seven years to complete, according to a MOU signed recently by Lu Yongxiang, president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and Huang Huahua, governor of Guangdong.

The MOU stipulates that the state will provide basic financing for the construction, while Guangdong is required to provide land, necessary support funds, and to be responsible for the facility's operation.

The exact cost of the construction is unknown.

The facility, included as one of the key projects for construction during the 11th five-year plan period (2006-2010), is expected to provide China with a platform for scientific research in its efforts to make better use of resources from the ocean bed.

(Xinhua News Agency February 18, 2007)