Reply to Proposal No. 2282 (No. 256 of Public Transport, Post and Telecommunications Category)    Submitted to the Second Session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference

The 9th Group of the China Association for Promoting Democracy:

    We have received your proposal “On Accelerating Support for the R&D and Independent Development of Industrial Semiconductor Chip Technologies and Industrialization”.    After consultation with the National Development and Reform Commission, our reply is as follows:

    The integrated circuit industry is a strategic, fundamental, and pioneering sector for national economic and social development.    Its technological level and development scale have become an important indicator of a country’s industrial competitiveness and comprehensive national strength.    The Party Central Committee and the State Council attach great importance to the development of the integrated circuit industry, and have successively issued a series of documents,    including the Circular of the State Council on Issuing Several Policies for Encouraging the Development of the Software Industry and the Integrated Circuit Industry (Guo Fa [2000] No. 18),    the Circular of the State Council on Issuing Several Policies for Further Encouraging the Development of the Software Industry and the Integrated Circuit Industry (Guo Fa [2011] No. 4),    and the National Integrated Circuit Industry Development Promotion Outline (hereinafter referred to as the Promotion Outline).    Relevant national science and technology major projects have been organized and implemented, creating a sound industrial environment for the development of China’s integrated circuit industry.

    In recent years, China’s integrated circuit industry has made considerable progress.    However, the situation where core technologies are controlled by others has not been fundamentally changed.    It is urgent to strengthen breakthroughs in core technologies to ensure supply chain and industrial security.    As pointed out in your proposal, under the current complex international situation,    the lagging development of industrial semiconductor materials, chips, devices, and insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) modules    will restrict the transformation of old and new growth drivers and industrial upgrading in China,    thereby affecting national economic development.    Your valuable opinions and suggestions on developing China’s industrial semiconductor materials, chips, devices, and IGBT module industry    provide important references for our future work.

    I. On the Proposal of Formulating a Strategic Plan for the Development of Industrial Semiconductor Chips    and Issuing Policies to Support Technological Breakthroughs and Industrial Development

    To promote the development of China’s industrial semiconductor materials, chips, devices, and IGBT module industry,    our ministry, the National Development and Reform Commission, and relevant departments have actively studied and introduced policies to support industrial development.    First, the Promotion Outline issued by the State Council in 2014 has included industrial semiconductor chip-related products as development priorities,    promoting industrial progress through policies on funding, application, and talent.    Second, the National Development and Reform Commission and our ministry have formulated layout plans for integrated circuits,    promoting the sound development of industrial semiconductor materials, chips, and other sectors with regional agglomeration and concentrated entities.    Third, in accordance with the relevant requirements of Guo Fa [2011] No. 4,    a number of preferential tax policies on corporate income tax and import duties have been introduced for qualified enterprises    engaged in industrial semiconductor chip design and manufacturing, with key support for relevant fields.    Fourth, focusing on key national industrial sectors such as energy and transportation,    we have given full play to the role of relevant industry organizations,    and built exchange and cooperation platforms for Chinese industrial semiconductor chip enterprises and complete machine enterprises    by holding industry-application matchmaking meetings, new product promotion conferences, and releasing typical application demonstration cases.

    Next steps: Our ministry and relevant departments will continue to promote the development of the industrial semiconductor materials, chips, devices, and IGBT module industry,    adjust and improve policy implementation details based on industrial development trends to better support industrial growth.    We will strengthen industrial chain cooperation through industry associations,    further promote industry-university-research-application collaboration,    and facilitate technological iteration and application promotion in China’s industrial semiconductor materials, chips, devices, and IGBT module industry.

    II. On the Proposal of Promoting Openness and Cooperation to Develop China’s Industrial Semiconductor Materials, Chips, Devices, and IGBT Module Industry

    Integrated circuits are a highly internationalized and market-oriented industry.    Resource integration and international cooperation are important ways to rapidly enhance industrial development capacity.    Our ministry and relevant departments actively support domestic enterprises, universities, and research institutes    to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with developed countries.    We will introduce foreign advanced technologies and R&D teams,    encourage international experts in fields including industrial semiconductor chips and devices to exchange in China,    support high-level overseas industrial talents to develop in China,    and enhance China’s R&D and technical capabilities in industrial semiconductor chip-related fields.

    Next steps: Our ministry and relevant departments will continue to accelerate open development.    We will guide domestic enterprises and research institutions to strengthen strategic cooperation with industry-university-research institutions in developed countries,    further encourage Chinese enterprises to introduce foreign expert teams,    and promote the improvement of R&D and industrial capabilities in China’s industrial semiconductor materials, chips, devices, and IGBT module industry.

    III. On the Proposal of Achieving Key Technological Breakthroughs Step by Step in Phases

    To address key technical problems of core components such as industrial semiconductor materials, chips, devices, and IGBT modules,    our ministry and relevant departments have actively supported key technological breakthroughs in these fields.    First, in 2017, our ministry launched the “Industrial Strong Foundation IGBT Device Dragon Application Program”,    focusing on new energy vehicles, smart grids, and rail transit,    and supporting IGBT design, chip manufacturing, module production, IDM, upstream materials, and production equipment manufacturing,    promoting the development of IGBT and related industries.    Second, we have guided Hunan Province to establish an innovation center for power semiconductor manufacturing,    integrating upstream and downstream industrial chain resources to jointly tackle key generic technologies in industrial semiconductor materials, chips, devices, and IGBT modules.    Third, we have guided the China Wide Bandgap Semiconductor and Application Industry Alliance to release    the “China IGBT Technology and Industrial Development Roadmap (2018–2030)”,    guiding technological upgrading in China’s IGBT industry and promoting related industrial development.

    Next steps: Our ministry will continue to support the development of mature technologies in China’s industrial semiconductor sector    and promote the improvement of yield and output in chip manufacturing.    We will actively deploy R&D of new materials and new-generation product technologies    to advance the development of China’s industrial semiconductor materials, chips, devices, and IGBT module industry.

    IV. On the Proposal of Attaching Great Importance to Talent Team Development    and Issuing Policies and Measures to Establish a Long-Term and Effective Talent Training Program in This Field

    At present, the shortage of talents, especially high-end talent teams,    has become a key factor restricting the sustainable development of China’s industrial semiconductor materials, chips, devices, and IGBT module industry.    To this end, our ministry and relevant departments have actively promoted the training of talents in relevant industries in China.    First, our ministry and the Ministry of Education have jointly promoted the establishment of the Integrated Circuit Industry-Education Integration Development Alliance,    facilitating resource integration between industry and academia and training industrial talents with engineering capabilities.    Second, we have taken integrated circuits as a pilot to implement a special program for the independent training of doctoral talents    in shortage of core technologies in key fields.    Based on the needs of enterprises and relying on high-level universities and domestic backbone enterprises,    we have targeted the training of a group of high-end doctoral talents.    Third, the Ministry of Education, our ministry, and other relevant departments have issued the    “Notice on Supporting Relevant Universities to Build Demonstrative Microelectronics Colleges”,    supporting 26 universities to build or prepare demonstrative microelectronics colleges,    and promoting cooperation between universities and backbone enterprises in the integrated circuit field,    national public service platforms, scientific and technological innovation platforms, industrialization bases, and local governments.

    Next steps: Our ministry, together with the Ministry of Education and other departments, will further strengthen talent team development.    We will promote the establishment of a first-level discipline in integrated circuits,    further strengthen demonstrative microelectronics colleges,    accelerate the construction of an integrated circuit industry-education integration collaborative education platform,    and ensure the sustainable development of China’s industrial semiconductor materials, chips, devices, and IGBT module industry.

    Thank you for your concern about the development of China’s industrial semiconductor materials, chips, devices, and IGBT module industry.    We hope to receive more support and assistance in the future.