From military model to market forces

Many of China's leading defense companies are to be merged with commercial enterprises, as Peng Yining reports.

China is planning to accelerate the integration of State-owned defense contractors and private companies to boost the economy and strengthen the national defense system.

The program aims to build on the success of military-inspired innovations that have already found their way into civilian life. For example, China Shipbuilding Industry Corp, one of the country's largest defense-sector enterprises, which took a leading role in the construction of the first Chinese-built aircraft, now also produces commercial yachts. Water-saving technology developed by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp is now widely used in the agricultural sector, and the company's Beidou navigation system is used to monitor forest fires and the movements of endangered animals in conservation areas.