The “Spark Program” Formally implemented in 1986, the major task of the “Spark Program” is to rejuvenate the rural economy by relying on science and technology, popularize advanced and applicable scientific and technological findings in the rural areas and lead the township enterprises to develop in a healthy way. This plan places great stress on the industries closely related to people’s livelihood. The resources advantages of the rural areas are turned into economic advantages by utilizing science and technology. The demonstration projects promote the development of crop cultivation, animal husbandry, aquaculture and the processing of agricultural and sideline products. A large number of vegetable, fruit, poultry and eggs, and aquatic product bases have been established, and advanced breeding and cultivation techniques have been popularized. This plan has not only aroused the peasants’ enthusiasm for production, but also enriched the urban dwellers’ “vegetable baskets” and “rice bags.” The “Spark Program” has also made efforts to relieve poverty in rural areas. It has organized demonstrations of scientific and technical projects in ten typical mountain areas, and comprehensively developed and utilized resources to tackle the problems of food and clothing of the local people.

The “Torch Program” In 1988, China launched the “Torch Program,” which is intended to put results of research in new and advanced technology into use in production. Since the implementation of the program, nearly 100 service centers to help people start businesses have been set up in 53 state-level new and advanced technology development zones. In 1997, the State Science Commission approved the establishment of the first group of such state-level centers. These so-called “incubator” institutes have played an important role in accelerating the transfer of results of research in new and advanced technology into production, and fostering new and advanced technology enterprises and entrepreneurs.

High and New Technology Development Zones In 1998, there were 16,097 enterprises in the high and new technology development zones, employing 1.74 million persons. These enterprises had earned a total of nearly 484 billion yuan from the fields of technology, industry and trade, and chalked up a total output value of 433.4 billion yuan, and 8.5 billion US dollars in export earnings. The Beijing, Suzhou, Hefei and Xi’an high and new technology development zones have been nominated as special zones open to the member countries of APEC.