China will increase the number of joint laboratories built and support young scientists

The first Belt and Road Science and Technology Exchange Conference (BRST) was held in Chongqing, a South-Western Municipality in China in early November, just after the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Oct. in Beijing which marks the 10th anniversary of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) proposed by Chinese President XI Jinping, who announced in the opening ceremony that eight major steps China will take to support high-quality Belt and Road co-operation.

One of the steps is to continue to advance scientific and technological innovation. China will continue to implement the Belt and Road Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Cooperation Action Plan, increase the number of joint laboratories built with other Belt and Road parties to 100 in the next five years, and support young scientists from other countries to work on short-term programs in China.  

The 1st BRST, motivated by President XI, adheres to the Silk Road Spirit: Peace and Cooperation, Openness and Inclusiveness, Mutual Learning and Mutual Benefit.With the theme of "Jointly Building Innovation and Promoting Cooperative Development", the conference held a series of activities on inter-governmental cooperation in ST, people-to-people exchanges in ST, and industrial innovation and development. Guests from 80 countries and international organizations attended, with fruitful outcomes.

Over the past decade, China has signed intergovernmental agreements on ST cooperation with more than 80 Belt and Road countries, and established intellectual property rights (IPR) cooperation with more than 50 Belt and Road countries. More than 50 Belt and Road joint laboratories have been built in areas such as health, transportation, materials and energy, and more than 20 agricultural technology Demo Centers and 70 overseas Industrial Parks have been established in the co-developing countries. 

China has built 9 transnational technology transfer centers for ASEAN, Africa and Latin America, held more than 300 technology exchange and docking events, and promoted the implementation of more than 1,000 cooperation projects. More than 10,000 young scientists from Belt and Road countries have been supported to come to China for short-term scientific research and exchanges, and trained more than 16,000 scientific, technological and managerial personnel from Belt and Road countries.

In particular, in the field of IT and communication, the "One Thousand Villages" project has brought stable satellite TV service to tens of millions of African people. The Beidou-3 Global Navigation Satellite System has provided accelerated positioning and high-precision services for more than 200 countries and regions.

Look forward:

China will launch the Belt and Road Cooperation Program on STI, and carry out four initiatives on sustainable development technology, innovation and entrepreneurship, spatial information technology, and poverty reduction through science and technology. 

China will launch the development of the Belt and Road Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone. Focus on the national science and technology strategy and the major needs of regional development, and solidly promote key tasks such as resource sharing, talent exchange, and platform construction.

China has issued the International Science and Technology Cooperation Initiative, formally delivered by the Minister of Science and Technology of China. To promote open, fair, equitable and non-discriminatory international science and technology cooperation, develop science for the benefit of all regardless of borders, and jointly build a global science and technology community, China puts forward the following International Science and Technology Cooperation Initiative:

    -- Staying committed to the pursuit of science. We should approach science and pursue truth in the most appropriate way as it should be. We should uphold scientific integrity, respect research ethics, foster a vision of tech for good, and improve global science and technology governance. We should strengthen protection of IPR, and develop and govern emerging technologies in a more inclusive and prudent manner.

    -- Pursuing innovation-driven development. We should enhance global STI collaboration, build a global innovation network, promote the adoption and diffusion of emerging technologies, and bolster technological innovation cooperation among enterprises to inject new impetus into world economic recovery and growth. Countries should work together to promote connectivity in the digital age, accelerate global transition toward green and low-carbon development, and achieve sustainable development for all.

    -- Adhering to open cooperation. We should be committed to open science regardless of borders and with no barriers imposed, ensure the free flow of STI personnel and resources around the world, increase personnel exchanges and cooperation, and foster an open and free international ecosystem for science and technology cooperation. We will resolutely oppose restrictions or obstacles to science and technology cooperation which undermine the common interests of the international community.

    -- Adhering to equality and inclusiveness. We should uphold the principles of mutual respect, fairness, equality and non-discrimination, and encourage all countries and research entities to participate in international science and technology cooperation on an equal footing. We firmly oppose politicizing, instrumentalizing or weaponizing science and technology cooperation, and oppose hegemonic and bullying acts through science and technology under the pretext of national security.

     -- Upholding solidarity and coordination. In the face of urgent global challenges such fields as climate change, health, environmental protection, energy security and food security, countries should work together to boost collaboration and mutual learning among STI entities, advance the implementation of major international science programs and projects, and achieve breakthroughs in major scientific and technological challenges concerning the future of mankind.

    -- Pursuing win-win outcomes for all. We should uphold genuine multilateralism, explore a new model of win-win global cooperation on STI, and ensure that the STI achievements are shared by all. China will set up a global scientific research fund and increase scientific and technological assistance to other developing countries, so that scientific and technological progress will benefit mankind as a whole.