BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhua) — The following is a summary of published science and technology news of China.

CHINA TECH

China’s science and technology sector has witnessed historic, holistic and structural changes over the past decade, said an official.

In 2021, China’s spending on R&D was 2.7 times its 2012 level, hitting a new high of 2.44 percent of its GDP, and its basic research expenditure was 3.4 times its 2012 level, said Li Meng, vice minister of science and technology, at a press conference.

China rose to 12th on the Global Innovation Index 2021, up from the 34th in 2012, making it the only country in the world to achieve a sustained and rapid rise, Li said.

MID-SIZED HELICOPTER

The China-developed AC352 mid-sized utility helicopter has completed the flight test phase of the airworthiness certification process, the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC).

The AC352 helicopter completed the last subject in the airworthiness certification process of the civil aviation authorities, said the AVIC, China’s leading aircraft maker.

WATER ON MARS

Chinese scientists have found new evidence that there was water on Mars in the past and there are hydrated minerals on the red planet, which can be potentially exploited during future crewed Mars missions.

The study published in the journal Science Advances revealed that a large impact basin on Mars contained liquid water during the Amazonian epoch, the planet’s most recent geologic epoch.

The study also indicated that in this particular site, there are currently considerable stores of water in the form of hydrated minerals and possibly ground ice.