China’s pursuit of sci-tech goals to benefit world

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Nov 28(ABC): China’s pursuit of self-reliance and strength in science and technology does not mean it will decouple from the world, experts said, adding that the goal is to turn the country into a more capable and innovative contributor when tackling global challenges with the international community.

The Chinese scientific community would continue to expand international cooperation, launch more research projects and pursue greater innovation that can serve the world, and also proactively participate in the global governance of science and technology-related affairs, they added.

The report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China stated that China would expand science and technology exchanges and cooperation with other countries, cultivate an internationalized environment for research, and create an open and globally competitive innovation ecosystem.

However, some Western experts speculated that China’s emphasis on becoming more self-reliant in science and technology indicates the country is trying to decouple from the world to become more resilient to deal with external uncertainties and influences.

Liang Yingda, director of the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Department of Strategy and Planning, said China has always engaged with the international scientific community. China has established scientific and technological cooperation with over 160 countries and regions, including 114 government-level collaboration agreements.

In 2021, China held over 40 ministerial-level exchanges on topics such as public health, climate change, clean energy, and tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. It also signed 21 new government-level cooperation agreements.

On Oct 28, scholars and officials from China and Belgium held their fourth annual science and technology exchange symposium in Brussels. Cao Zhongming, China’s ambassador to Belgium, said in the opening speech to the symposium that China is a contributor and supporter of multilateralism as well as finding joint solutions to global challenges.

A similar exchange took place between China and Ireland on Oct 13, when science officials from both countries celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership for Mutually Beneficial Cooperation.

Since 2016, China has launched and supported nearly 2,000 joint research projects with more than 60 countries, regions, and international organizations, covering areas including agriculture, energy, the environment, resources, communication, and health sciences, Liang said.

The total budget for these projects is about 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion).

Moreover, China has participated in nearly 60 global science projects, including the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor and the Square Kilometer Array. The country is also a member of over 200 international organizations and multilateral mechanisms and more than 1,200 Chinese experts hold senior positions in international science and technology organizations.

As for academic output, China co-authored over 183,000 papers with 169 countries last year, a 1.5 times increase compared with the 71,000 papers published in 2015.China also opened 53 joint laboratories with Belt and Road Initiative countries and has trained over 15,000 foreign science workers.

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and challenges to global economic recovery, “countries should enhance openness and cooperation in science and technology and jointly find solutions to these global challenges,” Liang said.