Cooperation in science and technology between China and the United States is always based on the principles of equality and mutual benefits.

China holds that sustained cooperation in science and technology will help promote bilateral trade and economic cooperation.

Xu Guanhua, Chinese minister of science and technology, made the remarks in Beijing Thursday at the 10th meeting of the China-US Joint Commission on Science and Technology Cooperation, which was co-chaired by Xu Guanhua and John H. Marburger, assistant to the US president and director of the Office of Science and Technology policy of the US.

Xu said Sino-US science and technology cooperation has developed in a stable way since a governmental convention on science and technology cooperation was reached in 1979. Currently, administrative departments from both sides have signed conventions for more than 30 projects, encouraging the growth of non-governmental and partial-governmental cooperation in science and technology at all levels.

Xu noted that Sino-US science and technology cooperation at present does not meet the economic and scientific levels of both countries and still has a huge potential.

He also made proposals for establishing a joint science and technology forum and a young scientists exchange program. Marburger said the US has been happy to join hands with China and participate in the latter's construction over the past 20 years. He also stressed that the meeting is aimed at encouraging and strengthening bilateral scientific and technological cooperation, so that the results will have a big impact on society, will solve practical problems faced by the two countries, and will benefit both sides.

During the two-day meeting, the two sides will hold discussions on energy, ecological and environmental sciences, healthy living, agriculture and catering, and cooperation between the two parties in the future.

There have so far been 10 joint commission meetings which have given Chinese and US scientists the opportunity to talk and cooperate with each other.

(People's Daily April 26, 2002)