China's top legislature on Saturday adopted an amendment to the Law on Science and Technology Progress, which aims to create a better environment for making innovations.

The law, for the first time, allows scientists to report failures during the process of innovation without harming their records in future funding applications.

"The country encourages scientists and technicians to freely explore innovation and bravely shoulder risks," reads the bill.

Scientists and technicians, who can provide evidence that they have tried their best, will be tolerated if they fail to achieve their goals in high-risk researches, says the law.

"It is known to all that failure is the mother of success." Li Yuan, an official with the NPC Law Committee said at a press conference after the adoption. "It will help create a relaxed academic atmosphere enabling scientists and technicians to take scientific risks."

While showing tolerance to scientific failures, the law brook no scientific fraud.

The law says scientists and technicians should observe academic regulations and ethics, improve their research capability and should not make fabrication in academic activities, or practice superstition or pseudo-science.

In addition, a credit database shall be established for scientists and technicians who participate in state-funded research projects. The data will act as an important criterion for new fund application, according to the revised law.

The bill also holds the heads of state-owned enterprises responsible for the technical innovation by incorporating the innovation-oriented investments, innovative capacity and efficiency into the rating of their performances.

President Hu Jintao outlined major strategic tasks for building an innovation-oriented country in January. He said innovation-oriented laws, regulations and scientific and technological development plans should be improved to create "a favorable mechanism" for innovation.

The revised law regulates that researchers should own the patent rights of government-sponsored scientific programs -- except for those which concern major public interests, national security and benefits.

In addition, the government will offer favorable policies on taxation and fund-raising to enterprises, especially high-tech ones, as a practice to underscore their "principal role in the country's science and technology innovation".

The amendment, which is to take effect on July 1, 2008, was approved at the seven-day 31th session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) which ended on Saturday.

(Xinhua News Agency December 31, 2007)