From space to the deep sea
China is at the forefront of exploring new fields (understanding the new advantages of China’s economy⑤)
From the vastness of space to 10,000-meter underground wells, from the frozen polar regions to the depths of the ocean, the exploration of new fields has lit up the "technological tree" of human civilization and upgraded the "engine" of the world economy.
Deep-sea prospecting, starry sky webs, chip microscopy, quantum interrogation... one after another new discoveries are being transformed into new driving forces for the high-quality development of China's economy.
Explore new frontiers
Where are the boundaries of human cognition? China is looking to deep space, deep earth, and deep sea for answers.
Wentian - Among the mountains in Pingtang County, Guizhou Province, sits the "China Sky Eye" 500-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) for gazing at the starry sky. Open data has produced more than 150 high-level papers; the total number of pulsars discovered reached 883, which is more than three times the total number of pulsars discovered by all other telescopes in the world during the same period... FAST has cast the Chinese people's profound eyes into the depths of the universe. .
Asking about the land - China, which was once "poor in oil and gas", is determined to "take CT scans of the earth" and obtain oil and gas from deep and ultra-deep underground. In Xinjiang, Sinopec's "Deep Earth Project" Shunbei Oil and Gas Field Base's "Shendi No. 1" Yuejin 3-3XC well became the deepest well in Asia after completion. Not long ago, this record was refreshed by the deep-seated Taco 1 well in PetroChina's Tarim Oilfield.
Asking the Sea - From the first self-designed manned submersible "Jiaolong", to the deep-sea manned submersible "Deep Sea Warrior", to the first submersible that successfully sat on the bottom of the Mariana Trench at a depth of 10,909 meters. The meter-class manned submersible "Struggle" and China's deep-sea exploration team are growing day by day.
In 2023, China Aerospace completed 67 space launches throughout the year. All 47 launches of the Long March series of carrier rockets were successful, and a total of 175 consecutive launches were successful; the "Struggle" completed the world's first manned deep-diving scientific research mission around Oceania and was independently designed The first ocean drilling ship "Dream" built made its first trial voyage...from space to the deep sea, demonstrating the courage and wisdom of Chinese explorers.
The good news continues, new records are being produced.
Recently, in the hinterland of the Taklimakan Desert in Xinjiang, China's first 10,000-meter-deep geological exploration well officially crossed the 10,000-meter mark; in the Pearl River Mouth Basin, China discovered China's first deepwater 100-ton oil field; in Wenchang, Hainan, the fourth phase of the lunar exploration project "Quieqiao" The "No. 2" relay satellite was launched via the Long March 8 Yao-3 carrier rocket, one step closer to manned moon landing... From deep space, from the deep earth, from the deep sea, the good news is transmitted.
Open up new areas
China has always been at the forefront of the world in the practicalization and industrialization of quantum technology. Looking up, the world's first quantum science experimental satellite "Mozi" has been working stably for more than seven years.
Over the past seven years, the "Mozi" has continued to bring new surprises to China and the world: in 2017, it was the first time that two quantum entangled photons remained quantumly entangled after being distributed over a distance of more than 1,200 kilometers apart; in 2018, it was the first time that Intercontinental quantum key distribution with a distance of 7,600 kilometers has intercontinental quantum secure communication capabilities; in 2022, a new record of quantum state transmission on the surface of 1,200 kilometers will be achieved...
As China enters the "quantum era", in addition to "weaving links into a network" for quantum communications, it is also building the "most powerful brain" for quantum computing.
There are two main technical routes for quantum computing, namely optical quantum computing and superconducting quantum computing. In 2021, China successfully built the 113-photon 144-mode optical quantum computing prototype "Jiuzhang-2"; in the same year, it successfully developed the 62-bit programmable superconducting quantum computing prototype "Zu Chongzhi", which has since been further upgraded to 66 superconducting quantum computers. Lead bits. In 2023, the "Zuchongzhihao" research and development team will make improvements based on the 66-bit chip, bringing the number of qubits controllable by users to 176 bits. Pan Jianwei, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that China is the only country that has achieved the superiority of quantum computing in both physical systems.
Quantum technology, artificial intelligence, integrated circuits... In recent years, China's innovative achievements in various frontier fields have continued to emerge, attracting the attention of academia and industry.
Stanford University's "Artificial Intelligence Index Report" shows that China's number of cited papers in the field of artificial intelligence is far ahead of European and American countries. Bloomberg said that Chinese companies are significantly increasing their investment in artificial intelligence and quantum computing. “Chinese technology companies such as Huawei have led innovation in areas such as networking, supercomputing, and image recognition. Chinese companies are applying algorithms to everything from online shopping to taxi hailing.” a series of businesses”.
Many overseas research institutions believe that Chinese suppliers have made significant progress in some areas of the chip field. Bernstein Research estimates that China's domestic suppliers will account for approximately 14% of China's wafer manufacturing equipment market in 2023, up from 3% in 2018. This proportion is expected to rise to 29% by 2026.
Towards a new future
Toward a new future, one step at a time. At present, China, as a leader in the 5G field, is becoming the leader in the 6G field.
What is the basis for 6G research and development? "China's 5G user penetration rate has exceeded 50%" "China has released technical plans such as the "6G Network Architecture Outlook"... China announced the launch of 6G research and development work, and it is moving forward steadily.
What does 6G mean? Higher speed and capacity, millisecond-level latency, enabling real-time interaction and applications... China has proposed that the commercialization time of 6G technology will be around 2030, with clear goals.
"It is expected that by 2040, the global 6G market will exceed US$340 billion, and China will become an early adopter of 6G technology and one of the largest 6G markets in the world." "China has an extremely large user base, and Chinese technology companies have independent 6G Strategy, individual countries are unlikely to hinder China’s 6G development”...Market consulting organizations such as International Data Corporation (IDC) judged this.
Climb high and look far, the new future is still in the polar regions and in space.
Recently, the "Snow Dragon 2" carrying out China's 40th Antarctic expedition mission carried the Qinling Station expedition team across the equator and back to the northern hemisphere. To commemorate the 40th anniversary of China's polar expedition, relevant commemorative activities will be carried out on the way back.
The Ross Sea area where the Qinling Station is located preserves a complete marine ecosystem that is rare on earth. It was once a blank in China's Antarctic scientific research layout. In the future, the Qinling Station will carry out surveys and observation monitoring of marine ecology, sea ice, geophysics, terrestrial ecology, and birds to provide basic support for the assessment of Antarctic ecological environment and climate change. "As China's new scientific research station is put into use, people are paying more and more attention to China's scientific research plans in Antarctica." Russian Satellite News Agency said.
China's space program has become the focus of international attention.
In 2024, China Aerospace is expected to carry out about 100 launch missions, which is expected to set a new record; China's first commercial space launch site will usher in its first launch mission, and multiple satellite constellations will accelerate the construction of networks.
Marveling at China's growing influence in space exploration, CBS in the United States reviewed China's space projects in recent years and commented: China plans to realize the dream of Chinese people landing on the moon for the first time by 2030, which will usher in a new era for space exploration. Chapter.
From space to the deep sea, China will continue to be the "first echelon" in exploring new fields.
Our reporter Wang Wenzheng
(People's Daily Overseas Edition)