THE Chinese government has set up a national fund to support the publication of academic works in the natural sciences and technology, writes Geoff Scott.
Owing to funding problems China has had difficulty publishing such work since the late 1980s. The shortages have hampered the country's contribution to scientific research in many fields.
Under the State Science and Technology Commission (SSTC), more than 20 million yuan (Pounds 1.5 million) has been allocated, ac-cording to the fund-management office. Priority will go to supporting academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), but help will also go to outstanding young researchers and technologists.
In the next few years, the fund is likely to support foreign academicians of CAS and CAE and may be boosted by commercial enterprises. The resources, however, are not aimed at translations, theses, books on general scientific knowledge, textbooks or reference books.