中国技术:从发明到模仿,再走向创新

Chinese Technology: From Invention to Imitation, and Further to Innovation

        张柏春(中国科学院自然科学史研究所 北京 100190)

         中国技术;发明;模仿;创新

        Chinese technology;invention;imitation;innovation

        古代中国是一个发明的国度。中国人首先栽培水稻和茶树等作物，发明了丝绸、瓷器和机械时钟等。中国技术在11世纪前后基本上满足了古代农业社会的需求。19世纪60年代，中国开始技术"换道"发展，即引进和模仿西方技术，兴办近代工业。20世纪30年代前建立了工程科学。20世纪50年代，构建了比较完整的科研体系、工业体系和教育体系。在改革开放时期，通过引进技术来实现产业升级，并努力创新产品。20世纪90年代，将创新视为技术和经济发展的关键。2012年11月，党的十八大决定实施创新驱动发展战略。面对各种挑战，中国应研判本国科技处于什么发展阶段，做好科技布局和改革，有效地增强创新能力。

        Ancient China was a producer of inventions. The Chinese not only were the first to grow such crops as rice and tea plant, but also invented silk, porcelain, mechanical clocks, and so on. In about the eleventh century, Chinese technologies basically satisfied the demands from the pre-modern agricultural society. In the 1860s, China started to switch technology from ancient to modern, i.e., to introduce and imitate Western technology and to construct modern industry. Before the 1930s, China developed engineering science and education. The 1950s witnessed the construction of R&D institutions and the industrial system, and the reform of the education system. In 1978, China began to implement the reform and opening-up policy which embraced the outside world. Since then, industrial upgrades have been enabled by the introduction of foreign technology, and endeavours have been made to innovate products. In the 1990s, China deemed innovation as the key to developing technology and economy. In November 2012, Chinese Communist Party Central Committee decided to implement the strategy of innovation-driven development. Facing various challenges, the Chinese should have a clinical view of technology gaps with the developed countries, and make a rational layout and required reforms to effectively enhance the innovation ability.