China's social science fund to be used more efficiently
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China's national social science research fund will be "used more efficiently" in order to create a stronger and more effective research database, an official said on Thursday.
The fund, established in 1986 by the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, amounted to 1.746 billion yuan (about 269 million U.S. dollars) between 2006 and 2010, Wang Xiaohui, deputy head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, said at a recent press conference.
Wang said the fund is designed to support strategic research on the country's overall economic and social development. The results of this research are highly useful for the Party and the government in their decision-making processes, Wang said.
However, he warned that those involved in academic misconduct will "receive warnings or public criticism, and will not be allowed to apply for the fund for three years afterward," said Wang.
He added that over the past three years, 10 projects subsidized by the fund have been revoked due to misconduct. Wang also said that the completion of 1,111 projects was delayed due to poor research quality.
The national fund also provided money for 2,034 projects concerning the economic development of China's western regions, he said.
Wang, who is also a spokesman for the CPC Central Committee's Publicity Department, also briefed reporters on the country's plan for the development of its social science program over the 12th Five-year Plan period (2011-2015).
Although the CPC Central Committee's Publicity Department established its spokesperson system in February 2010, Thursday's press conference was the first to be held in the department's compound in downtown Beijing.
The department's previous press conferences were held in the State Council Information office.
Dozens of reporters attended Thursday's one-hour press conference, which was also broadcast live on the Internet.
While welcoming reporters to the compound, Wang said, "More press conferences will be held here in the future, and we will be more open towards the press in general."
In addition to the Publicity Department, 10 other CPC central departments have also established their own spokesperson systems, including the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the Taiwan Work Office.
While being introduced to local and international media in June last year, the spokespeople for all of the Party's central departments vowed to "enhance news reporting and boost transparency."
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