Central SOEs beef up innovation

For instance, a group of SOEs completed the construction of the country's first independently developed test line for trains using rare-earth permanent magnetic levitation (PML) technology in Xingguo county, Jiangxi province, in early August.

Maglev trains, suspended with no need for wheels, are propelled using magnets, usually supercooled magnets that consume a lot of electricity. PML technology, however, relies on permanent rare-earth magnets that, while still consuming power, use much less than the supercooled magnets.

The 800-meter pilot line was jointly developed by China Railway Liuyuan Group Co Ltd, China Railway Hi-Tech Industry Co Ltd and the China National Rare Earth Functional Material Innovation Center, as well as Jiangxi University of Science and Technology. It can be used for trains with medium-to-low speed and volume.

With a designed maximum speed of 80 kilometers per hour, the rail system is able to handle a two-car maglev train that can transport 88 people. The transit system is equipped with the Beidou Navigation Satellite System, 5G capabilities and smart sensing technologies.

Chen Guodong, general manager of Tianjin-based China Railway Liuyuan Group Co Ltd, a unit of Beijing-based China Railway Group Ltd, said the maglev train is an advanced system that can serve many scenarios, such as transportation at scenic spots, airport terminal connections, business centers and small towns in both domestic and global markets.

Chinese telecom operators have altogether invested 401.6 billion yuan in 5G, according to information released during the 2022 World 5G Convention, held in early August in Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang province.

China has some 1.85 million 5G base stations and more than 450 million 5G end users, both accounting for over 60 percent of the world's total, the conference said.

The accelerating application of 5G technology has led to the emergence of new industries and new modes of business. A number of Chinese enterprises are currently leading the world in 5G R&D and applications, said Liu Liehong, chairman of Beijing-based China Unicom.

"China's 5G construction has made remarkable breakthroughs. It has made notable progress in the fields of the industrial internet and smart cities and villages," said Wu Hequan, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

In addition, the government recently established China Mineral Resources Group Ltd, a new, centrally administered SOE, to ensure the nation's supply of minerals. It also has called on its central SOEs to further live up to their responsibilities in promoting energy conservation and environmental protection.

Central SOE practices in those two areas will be supervised and managed in a dynamic and orderly manner based on the industry, energy consumption, emissions levels of major pollutants and impact on the environment, according to a guideline recently unveiled by SASAC.

The guideline stresses that central SOEs should curb blind development of low-level projects that entail high energy consumption and high emissions, and notes that overseas production and business activities should also better abide by local environmental protection laws and regulations.

The policy document also encourages central SOEs to develop green and low-carbon sectors related to their main business.