The research and development of new materials is an important part of this year’s Government Work Report. Graphene is one of the most promising new materials of the 21st century. 

China’s graphite reserves account for 45 percent of the world’s total. Heilongjiang, especially, boasts abundant graphene resources, and more than 10 graphene research and development teams have been set up in the capital city of Harbin.

Wang Ying, a deputy to the National People’s Congress (NPC), has called on the national government to support the development of the graphene industry in Harbin.

Meanwhile, Wang also suggested holding a national graphene-related product and technology exposition, and a graphene development forum in Harbin.

According to statistics, the graphene reserves in Heilongjiang account for 53 percent of the country’s total. And capacity and production value account for around 70 percent of the country’s total.

Heilongjiang is expected to develop 10 new high-tech graphene companies over the next two years. At present, Harbin has a batch of graphene research and development companies which focus on projects such as heat dissipation and microwave absorption using graphene.

For example, Harbin Wanxin Graphite Science and Technology Co Ltd has built two graphene product lines. The company ranks among the top in the country in terms of the sales volume and technical capability of its graphene products.

Last year, the China Graphite Industrial Development Federation was established in Harbin, and includes 158 member companies. A special fund has now been established to support the research and development of the graphene industry.