China science, technology news summary — June 26

BEIJING, June 26– The following is a summary of published science and technology news of China. China’s top epidemiologist Zhong Nanshan said on Friday that Chinese vaccines are effective against the COVID-19 Delta variant, and he urged more people to be vaccinated. Zhong said the epidemic resurgence in Guangzhou, capital city of south China’s Guangdong…

BEIJING, June 26 (Xinhua) — The following is a summary of published science and technology news of China.

COVID-19 VACCINES

China’s top epidemiologist Zhong Nanshan said on Friday that Chinese vaccines are effective against the COVID-19 Delta variant, and he urged more people to be vaccinated.

Zhong said the epidemic resurgence in Guangzhou, capital city of south China’s Guangdong Province, was the first time that China had to cope with the Delta variant spreading in communities. The variant, which was first identified in India, has a shorter incubation period and those who are infected take a longer time to recover.

SCIENCE LITERACY

China has seen significant improvement in the science literacy of its citizens and has pledged to further enhance progress in this regard, according to a new plan for promoting science literacy of the people by the State Council.

By 2025, the proportion of scientifically literate Chinese citizens will exceed 15 percent, with marked progress in the even distribution of scientific literacy in all regions and groups of people nationwide, said the action plan for science literacy of the people (2021-2035).

The figure is expected to reach 25 percent by 2035, with significantly narrowed urban-rural gaps and gaps among regions nationwide, said the plan.

SPACE TRACKING SHIP

China’s Yuanwang-5 space-tracking ship returned to its homeport on Thursday after completing two maritime monitoring missions, including one for the country’s space station core module Tianhe.

Yuanwang-5 was at sea for 66 days since April 20, and has sailed more than 15,000 nautical miles. It monitored several key events, including rocket engine shutdowns and orbit entry. Enditem