In the military field, it called for increased spending and forecast "the development of modern weapons and informationization of the army to provide assurance for the safeguarding of national security."
Overall, it predicted a steady increase in new patents and groundbreaking scientific papers that would enable China to claim a place as a major power in science and technology by 2050.
It is far from certain these goals will be achieved, but a ream of statistics about the rapid and prolonged expansion of China's economy and scientific prowess is causing concern in Washington.
US CONCERNS
US President George W. Bush's recent announcement that the US will spend more on science and education is thought to have been at least partly influenced by such fears.
In 2003 Chinese universities saw 817,000 science and engineering students graduate -- about eight times the US tally.
The Pentagon also singled out China as the only country with the capability to emerge as a military rival.
US congressmen are warning that China's economy will overtake the US' by 2050.
With the political debate increasingly shaped by predictions of future power rather than current strength, crystal ball gazing has become a popular subject for normally staid academic publications, with the most optimistic forecasts coming from those closest to the government.
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