Chinese Science and Technology Minister Xu Guanhua said in Beijing Sunday that a group of scientific talents, many of whom are young people, has been stimulated as the country deepens its reform in scientific and technological management.

Xu said all national scientific programs encouraged promising young scientists to show their talent.

In the past two years, the minister said, the national research program on basic sciences, or the 973 Program, trained 3,000 doctoral degree holders and another 3,000 people with master's degrees.

In the national high technology research and development project, known as the 863 Program, young scientists were the backbone of the research, Xu said.

Xu also said on an information technology research team, the average age of group members was younger than 30. Those young people helped set international standards in the area, which was the first ever applied by the Chinese in the past century.

With regard to programs sponsored by the Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), nearly 70 percent were led by scientists younger than 45 years, Xu said.

In addition, many researchers studying overseas came back to China in teams.

Xu said his ministry will create a more favorable environment for promising young scientists.

(Xinhua News Agency February 22, 2004)