New regulations affect all universities, hospitals, and companies engaged in state-subsidized technological advancement, according to the initial policy declaration.Officials in Shenzhen, a major technology center in southern China, have urged compassion for creators whose state-supported initiatives do not succeed or fail to meet assessments.
The initial policy declaration from the Shenzhen Commission for Science and Technology Innovation emerges as China seeks to solidify the city's position as a high-tech leader and decrease dependence on external technology amidst asustained strategic rivalry with the United States.
The commission stated in a post on its website last Monday that the new regulations apply to all universities, hospitals, and businesses engaging in technological innovation with government funding.
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It stated that if the errors did not constitute misconduct, there was no misuse of authority, and the innovators took appropriate steps to address the mistakes, then they should not face penalties.
The statement also outlined situations in which such exemptions might apply, including objectives that were delayed because of technical issues, products that were created but became impractical due to shifts in the market, or studies that were not completed because of the requirement to investigate new approaches, techniques, models, or technologies.
"These entities and individuals should not face responsibility, nor should their performance reviews be impacted. They should not be prevented from reapplying for government-supported scientific and technological projects," the document stated.
It called on researchers to "dare to explore new frontiers and aim to produce major scientific breakthroughs," while also establishing a long-term system to prevent losses resulting from unsuccessful innovations.
Shenzhen, once a modest fishing village, has evolved into "China's Silicon Valley" in just a few decades, maintaining a strong focus on innovation as a central force behind its economic growth and cultivating an atmosphere conducive to business.
In August 2023, Shenzhen released three operational plans detailing 55 initiatives aimed at enhancing its business environment through strengthening legal frameworks, simplifying market entry, safeguarding intellectual property, and encouraging global integration.
In February of this year, the municipal authorities unveiled a significant project aimed at enhancing the artificial intelligence and robotics sector, with a specific emphasis on human-like robots.
As per the Shenzhen Artificial Intelligence Industry Office, the city will provide financial support covering as much as 60 percent of the expenses for training AI models, with a maximum limit of 10 million yuan (US$1.39 million).
This is a component of a larger 10 billion yuan fund designed to promote AI software, hardware, and embodied intelligence.
President Xi Jinping has also frequently emphasized enhancing technological innovation to safeguard supply chains amid significant U.S. competition across various areas.
At a recent science and technology conference, Xicalled forinnovations in "bottleneck" technologies for six critical sectors - integrated circuits, industrial machinery, fundamental software, high-performance materials, scientific equipment, and seed resources.
"The technological revolution is closely linked to the struggle between superpowers, with the high-tech industry emerging as the primary arena," said Xi, according to state news agency Xinhua.
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This piece was first published in the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), a top news outlet covering China and Asia.
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