[Photo: MOST.gov.cn] |
 [Photo: MOST.gov.cn] |
 [Photo: MOST.gov.cn] |
The 12th China-U.S. Joint Commission Meeting on Science and Technology Cooperation was held in Beijing on October 18-19, 2006. This meeting took place after the National Conference on Science and Technology concluded in January with the promulgation of the Outline of the National Medium- and Long-term S&T Development Plan (2006-2020).
Chinese Minister of Science and Technology, Xu Guanhua, and Science Adviser to the U.S. President and Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the White House, Dr. John Marburger, jointly presided over the meeting. Over 100 representatives from both countries attended the meeting.
President Hu Jintao paid a successful visit to the U.S. in April this year and the two governments renewed China-U.S. Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement.
The meeting reviewed progress that has been achieved in intergovernmental S&T cooperation since the 11th China-U.S. Joint Commission Meeting was held in 2004. Representatives from the two governments briefed on the science and technology policies formulated most recently by the governments of the two countries. They also discussed cooperation in advanced clean energy technology, nuclear safety and peaceful utilization of nuclear technology and agricultural science and technology. Representatives from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education, etc. delivered speeches at the meeting. The U.S. representatives came from the State Department, Department of Agriculture and Department of Commerce.
At the meeting, the two sides made new breakthroughs in a number of hot issues of cooperation and reached extensive common understanding.
Minister Xu Guanhua announced at the meeting that China would start negotiations with the U.S. on its participation in the government steering committee for FutureGen sponsored by the U.S. He expressed the hope that they would soon reach common understanding and sign agreement.
Liu Yanhua, Chinese vice minister of Science and Technology, signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in environmental protection with John Gray, Assistant Administrator of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
During talks with Lautenbacher, Administrator of National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Vice Minister Liu agreed to initiate China-U.S. cooperation in earth observation and global change.
Shang Yong, Chinese vice Minister of Science and Technology, reached consensus with Kathie Olsen, Deputy Director of the U.S. National Science Foundation and Hratch Semerjian, Chief Scientist of American National Standards Institute on strengthening bilateral cooperation in basic research and nanometer science and technology.
The U.S. State Department proposed the initiative on "Advanced Research Agenda" Program, which aims to reinforce cooperation in basic research and send more U.S. scientists to China to carry out cooperative research. The Chinese side gave positive response to the initiative. They also briefed the meeting on the situation relating to China's construction of "Tianjin National Bio-Medicine Park" and "Jinan National Information Software Park".
The two sides also explored further exchanges and cooperation in high-energy physics (Neutrino Experiments at Dayawan Nuclear Power Station), new energy, substitute energy and renewable energy (particularly biomass energy). Both sides agreed to carry out joint study and key technology demonstration and industrialization in energy and boost technology transfer.
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