At the ongoing annual work conference, Wang Luolin, vice president of CASS, said in the past year his academy chose 69 key projects for study, including those significant ones, such as economic theories in the socialist market economy, ethnic problems, economic globalization, the westward economic development in China, and the socialist legal system.

Researchers at the academy have made a lot of progress in political economics, the precise dating project of the ancient three dynasties of Xia, Shang and Zhou (BC21 century-BC221), modern literature in China, the history of Chinese Confucianism, concise encyclopedia of Africa, the macro-control policy on China' s economy, the industrial development strategy of central and west China in the 21st century, China's industries after entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the sustained development of the nation.

Meanwhile, a total of 131 academic achievements received awards from the CASS. The six top-prize winners, namely Trade Balance Between China and Foreign Countries from 1895 to 1936 by Chen Zhengping, Highest Decision Maker of the Soviet Union in 70 Years by Xing Guangcheng, On Intellectual Property by Zheng Chengsi, Linguistic Boundary and No Boundary by Shen Jiaxuan, Weiyang Palace of Chang'an in the Han Dynasty by Liu Qingzhu, and Research on Philosophy and Logic by Zhang Qingyu, reflected the latest academic advancement by Chinese social scientists.

By the end of 2000, the state had poured nearly 250 million yuan (US$30 million) into the academy, with an increase of 11.81 percent compared with that of the previous year, Wang said.

The total investment into academic research last year exceeded 100 million yuan (US$12.05 million).

Statistics show that 53 percent of the researchers in the CASS are professors or associate professors. About 60 percent of the researchers under the age of 45 have degrees of doctor or master.

(Xinhua 01/17/2001)