China is facing five challenges in the next century, which will bring about significant social demands for science technology, said Zhou Guangzhao, chairman of the China Association for Science and Technology. The first challenge is the aging population. China's population will reach 1.3 billion by the end of this century and is expected to top 1.6 billion by the middle of next century, Zhou said at the on-going 2000 Beijing Science Week. Agriculture is the second challenge. One quarter of the country's land is dry and its arable land is decreasing.
Energy is the third challenge.
Since 1993, China has become a net importer of petroleum. However, China still needs petroleum, with the gap estimated at 100 million tons by 2010. Environment is the fourth challenge. Drying lakes and rivers, desertification, salinization and deterioration of grasslands. The last challenge facing China lies in the information sector.