# 863 Program

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The **863 program** (simplified Chinese: 863计划) or **State High-Tech Development Plan** (simplified Chinese: 国家高技术研究发展计划) was a program funded and administered by the [government of the People's Republic of China](/source/Government_of_the_People's_Republic_of_China) intended to stimulate the development of advanced technologies in a wide range of fields for the purpose of rendering China independent of financial obligations for foreign technologies.[1] It was inspired by the [Strategic Defense Initiative](/source/Strategic_Defense_Initiative) proposed by [U.S. president](/source/U.S._president) [Ronald Reagan](/source/Ronald_Reagan) in 1983, and was absorbed alongside [Program 973](/source/Program_973) into the "National Key R&D Program" in 2016.[2][3][4]

On March 3, 1986, the program was suggested by [Wang Daheng](/source/Wang_Daheng), [Wang Ganchang](/source/Wang_Ganchang), [Yang Jiachi](/source/Yang_Jiachi), and [Chen Fangyun](/source/Chen_Fangyun) in a letter to China's [paramount leader](/source/Paramount_leader) [Deng Xiaoping](/source/Deng_Xiaoping), who approved the program within 2 days.[5][6] The program was initially led by [Zhao Ziyang](/source/Zhao_Ziyang), who was the [premier of China](/source/Premier_of_the_People's_Republic_of_China) at the time, and received a governmental fund of 10 billion [RMB](/source/Rmb) in 1986, which accounts for 5% of the total [government spending](/source/Government_spending) that year.[3][6][7] According to the US [National Counterintelligence and Security Center](/source/National_Counterintelligence_and_Security_Center), the 863 program "provides funding and guidance for efforts to clandestinely acquire US technology and sensitive economic information."[8]

Among the products known to have resulted from the 863 program are the [Loongson](/source/Loongson) computer processor family (originally named *Godson*), the [Tianhe](/source/Tianhe-2) supercomputers and the [Shenzhou spacecraft](/source/Shenzhou_(spacecraft)).[9][10]

## History

Named after its date of establishment (March 1986, 86/3 by the Chinese [date format](/source/Calendar_date#Date_format)), the 863 Program was proposed in a letter to the Chinese government by scientists [Wang Daheng](/source/Wang_Daheng), [Wang Ganchang](/source/Wang_Ganchang), [Yang Jiachi](/source/Yang_Jiachi), and [Chen Fangyun](/source/Chen_Fangyun) and endorsed by [Deng Xiaoping](/source/Deng_Xiaoping).[11] After its implementation during the [Seventh Five-Year Plan](/source/Five-Year_Plans_of_the_People's_Republic_of_China#The_Seventh_Five-Year_Plan,_1986–1990), the program continued to operate through the two five-year plans that followed, with state financing of around 11 billion RMB and an output of around 2000 patents (national and international).[12]

In 2001, under the [Tenth Five-Year Plan](/source/Five-Year_Plans_of_the_People's_Republic_of_China#The_Tenth_Five-Year_Plan,_2001–2005), the program was reevaluated in consultation with foreign experts. The result was a widened focus to strengthen the competitiveness of China in the global economy.[13] The evaluation practice has been included into the program as a project management system.[13]

In a 2011 court case, Chinese-born scientist [Huang Kexue](/source/Huang_Kexue) was found guilty of stealing commercial secrets from US-based corporations and passing at least some of this information to the 863 program.[14]

## Outline

The program initially focused on seven key technological fields:[15]

- [Biotechnology](/source/Biotechnology)
- [Space](/source/Space_technology)
- [Information technology](/source/Information_technology)
- [Laser](/source/Laser) technology
- [Automation](/source/Automation)
- [Energy](/source/Energy_development)
- [New materials](/source/Materials_science)

Since 1986, two more fields have been brought under the umbrella of the program:

- [Telecommunications](/source/Telecommunications) (1992)
- [Marine technology](/source/Marine_technology) (1996)

It included substantial support for the advancement of [optics](/source/Optics) and [optoelectronics](/source/Optoelectronics).[16]

## See also

- [Science and technology in China](/source/Science_and_technology_in_China)
- [Allegations of intellectual property infringement by China](/source/Allegations_of_intellectual_property_infringement_by_China)
- [Program 973](/source/Program_973)
- [State Key Laboratories](/source/State_Key_Laboratories)
- [Project 985](/source/Project_985)
- [Project 211](/source/Project_211)

## References

1. Wu, Hequan (2002-08-06). "The progress of communication technology subject of hi-tech research development plan of China". *WCC 2000 - ICCT 2000. 2000 International Conference on Communication Technology Proceedings (Cat. No.00EX420)*. Vol. 1. [Beijing](/source/Beijing). pp. 3–4. [doi:10.1109/ICCT.2000.889157](https://doi.org/10.1109/ICCT.2000.889157). ISBN 0-7803-6394-9. [S2CID 60832883](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:60832883)

1. Zhi, Qiang & Pearson, Margaret M. (July 2017). ["China's Hybrid Adaptive Bureaucracy: The Case of the 863 Program for Science and Technology"](https://gvpt.umd.edu/sites/gvpt.umd.edu/files/pubs/zhi_pearson-2016-governance.pdf). *Governance*. **30** (3): 407–424. [doi:10.1111/gove.12245](https://doi.org/10.1111/gove.12245). [S2CID 152280888](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:152280888). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20220920171015/https://gvpt.umd.edu/sites/gvpt.umd.edu/files/pubs/zhi_pearson-2016-governance.pdf) 20 September 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 29 November 2019.

1. Gewirtz, Julian (February 2019). "The Futurists of Beijing: Alvin Toffler, Zhao Ziyang, and China's "New Technological Revolution," 1979–1991". *The Journal of Asian Studies*. **78** (1): 115–140. [doi:10.1017/S0021911818002619](https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021911818002619). [ISSN 0021-9118](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0021-9118)

1. ["Press Conference on the "Launch and Implementation of the National Key R&D Program": Summary Transcript"](https://cset.georgetown.edu/publication/press-conference-on-the-launch-and-implementation-of-the-national-key-rd-program-summary-transcript/). *[Center for Security and Emerging Technology](/source/Center_for_Security_and_Emerging_Technology)*. September 13, 2021. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20231003013549/https://cset.georgetown.edu/publication/press-conference-on-the-launch-and-implementation-of-the-national-key-rd-program-summary-transcript/) 3 October 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-01-06.

1. ["Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China"](http://www.most.gov.cn/eng/programmes1/). *www.most.gov.cn*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230106013128/https://www.most.gov.cn/eng/programmes1/) 6 January 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2019-11-29.

1. ["1986年邓小平亲自决策启动"863"计划--邓小平纪念网--人民网"](http://cpc.people.com.cn/n/2014/1231/c69113-26308784.html). *cpc.people.com.cn*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20220920172028/http://cpc.people.com.cn/n/2014/1231/c69113-26308784.html) 20 September 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2019-11-29.

1. Karplus, Valerie J. & Deng, Xing Wang (2007-12-17). [*Agricultural Biotechnology in China: Origins and Prospects*](https://books.google.com/books?id=reUcHRkOwCsC&dq=863+program+10+billion+1986&pg=PA58). Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 978-0-387-71138-6. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240105025917/https://books.google.com/books?id=reUcHRkOwCsC&dq=863+program+10+billion+1986&pg=PA58#v=onepage&q=863%20program%2010%20billion%201986&f=false) 5 January 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 27 November 2021.

1. ["Foreign Spies Stealing US Economic Secrets in Cyberspace: Report to Congress on Foreign Economic Collection and Industrial Espionage, 2009-2011."](https://www.dni.gov/files/documents/Newsroom/Reports%20and%20Pubs/20111103_report_fecie.pdf). *[Office of the National Counterintelligence Executive](/source/Office_of_the_National_Counterintelligence_Executive)*. October 2011. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20231229191532/https://www.dni.gov/files/documents/Newsroom/Reports%20and%20Pubs/20111103_report_fecie.pdf) 29 December 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 4, 2024.

1. ["Designing Quad-Core Loongson-3 Processor"](http://english.ict.cas.cn/rh/rps/200909/t20090910_36875.html). *english.ict.cas.cn*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20220922074739/http://english.ict.cas.cn/rh/rps/200909/t20090910_36875.html) 22 September 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2019-11-29.

1. ["Scientific Innovation and China's Military Modernization"](https://thediplomat.com/2013/09/scientific-innovation-and-chinas-military-modernization/). *thediplomat.com*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20221003145043/https://thediplomat.com/2013/09/scientific-innovation-and-chinas-military-modernization/) 3 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2019-11-29.

1. Feigenbaum, Evan A. (2003). [*China's Techno-warriors: National Security and Strategic Competition from the Nuclear to the Information Age*](https://books.google.com/books?id=8qwNmG9V1aIC&pg=PA141). [Stanford, California](/source/Stanford,_California): [Stanford University Press](/source/Stanford_University_Press). p. 141. ISBN 978-0-8047-4601-4. [OCLC 49415750](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/49415750). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240105025920/https://books.google.com/books?id=8qwNmG9V1aIC&pg=PA141#v=onepage&q&f=false) 5 January 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 19 April 2019.

1. ["Science & Technology Newsletter No.380: 863 Program Creates RMB 56 Billion"](http://www.most.gov.cn/eng/newsletters/2004/200411/t20041130_17780.htm), Ministry of Science & Technology of the People's Republic of China (MOST), [archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20141120231723/http://www.most.gov.cn/eng/newsletters/2004/200411/t20041130_17780.htm) November 20, 2014 at the Wayback Machine

1. ["National High-tech R&D Program (863 Program)"](http://www.most.gov.cn/eng/programmes1/). [Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China](/source/Ministry_of_Science_and_Technology_of_the_People's_Republic_of_China). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230106013128/https://www.most.gov.cn/eng/programmes1/) 6 January 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 1 April 2015.: 1. Orientation and Objectives, 2. Major Tasks.

1. ["Chinese scientist Huang Kexue jailed for trade theft"](https://www.bbc.com/news/business-16297237). *[BBC News](/source/BBC_News)*. 2011-12-22. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20221105220853/http://www.bbc.com/news/business-16297237) 5 November 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-01-05.

1. Ke, Yan (2005). [*Chinas Wissenschaft und Technik*](https://books.google.com/books?id=7RVTuysT1rgC) (in German). 五洲传播出版社. p. 109. ISBN 978-7-5085-0671-5. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240105025931/https://books.google.com/books?id=7RVTuysT1rgC) 5 January 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 23 September 2016.

1. de Seta, Gabriele (2025). "Technologies of Clairvoyance: Chinese Lineages and Mythologies of Machine Vision". *Machine Decision Is Not Final: China and the History and Future of Artificial Intelligence*. Bratton, Benjamin; Greenspan, Anna; Ireland, Amy; Konior, Bogna (eds.). Urbanomic, [MIT Press](/source/MIT_Press). ISBN 9781913029999.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [863 Program](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/863_Program) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/863_Program?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.