China will focus development on nine high-tech industries, including biological and new energy, a senior official with the country's top planning body said today.

The industries cover electronic information, biological industry, aviation and space, high-tech services, new energy, new material, ocean industry and the technology upgrading of traditional industries, said Zhang Xiaoqiang, vice minister of the National Development and Reform Commission.

China will soon publish a string of policies to encourage the development of software and integrated circuits, digital TV and biological medicines, Zhang said.

The commission will allocate about six billion yuan (US$799 million) in developing 12 key scientific infrastructures including an exploration ship, Zhang said.

It will also spend 4.8 billion yuan to support the third phase of the Chinese Academy of Sciences' innovation projects, and two billion yuan to promote independent innovation.

The commission will support the construction of 11 national laboratories, 50 working centers and 300 corporate technology centers, Zhang said.

Corporate investment will stimulate the development of the high-tech industry, and as a return, the high-tech products will benefit the companies, Zhang said.

The added value for China's high-tech industry will more than triple this year compared with 2002, a step closer to turning the country's into a high-tech giant, Zhang said.

Industrial added value from high-tech industries accounted for eight percent of China's gross domestic product in 2006, three percentage points higher than 2000, among which the sales from high-tech manufacturers grew 27 percent annually to 4.2 trillion yuan, Zhang said.

The export of high-tech products more than doubled last year to US$281.5 billion, accounting for 29 percent of the country's export volume.

China's export of high-tech products ranked second in the world, Zhang said.

(Shanghai Daily September 27, 2007)