攻关

• Pinyin: gōng guān
• Hanzi breakdown: 攻 = to attack, tackle; 关 = 关 — gate, pass, barrier, critical point

Meaning

To tackle a key problem; to make a breakthrough on a critical challenge. Concentrated collective effort to overcome a major technical, scientific, or strategic obstacle.

Originally a military term (storming a strategic pass or fortified position). Now used almost exclusively in scientific research and industry for concentrated efforts to solve difficult problems: 科技攻关 (scientific and technological breakthrough effort), 核心技术攻关 (core technology breakthrough). A key term in China's innovation and R&D discourse.

Examples

1. 国家组建了专项攻关团队，集中优势力量突破芯片技术瓶颈。 The government assembled a dedicated task force, concentrating its strongest resources to break through the bottleneck in chip technology.
2. 经过三年艰苦的科研攻关，该疫苗终于顺利通过了临床试验。 After three years of grueling research and development, the vaccine finally passed clinical trials.
3. 这道世界性数学难题需要一代又一代数学家持续不懈地攻关。 This worldwide mathematical challenge will require generations of mathematicians to keep tackling it relentlessly.

Usage Guide

Context: science, technology, R&D, innovation, industry

Tone: determined

Do Say

• 企业必须加大投入，加快核心技术的自主攻关步伐。(Enterprises must increase investment to accelerate the pace of self-reliant breakthroughs in core technologies.)
• 各部门协同攻关，终于解决了困扰已久的系统安全漏洞。(All departments worked together on the problem and finally resolved the long-standing system security vulnerability.)

Don't Say

• 将'攻关'用于日常小问题或普通任务 — 攻关 implies a major, formidable challenge; use 解决 or 处理 for ordinary problems

Origin & History

攻 (to attack; to tackle) + 关 (pass; barrier; critical juncture)

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Professionals and researchers