The United States of America tied up with Beijing Monday to improve the Chinese capital's air quality and environment for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.  

The US Department of Energy, China's Ministry of Science and Technology and the Beijing municipal government signed a Green Olympic Protocol for Beijing's 2008 Olympic Games Monday.

Under the protocol, eight clean energy programs will be implemented to promote environmentally friendly energy development efforts for the 2008 games and develop as future sustainable energy sources in the capital, Vice Mayor Fan Boyuan said at a signing ceremony.

"This energy-efficient building in Beijing demonstrates how we can work together to promote clean energy solutions," US Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said.

He said both nations face similar challenges and opportunities in the energy sector, with the two sharing roles as largest energy consumers in the world. Energy security and environmental protection are important priorities for both.

In another energy-related development, China has begun large-scale scientific collaboration projects with France, covering such areas as water conservation, water disasters prevention, SARS control, treatments for hepatitis and leukaemia, China Daily learned from the Department for International Cooperation of the Ministry of Science and Technology.

"Different from the previous single institute-to-institute collaborations between China and France, these newly started programs will be conducted between several or more top laboratories from the two countries," Zhang Zhiqin, a department official said.

Zhang said this year, China will start a series of international scientific programs, including:

l         Galilei Project -- the largest cooperative scientific program between China and European Union since the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949. The two sides will cooperate in satellite navigation and industrial manufacturing technologies.

l         International human protein group efforts will start this year, with Chinese scientists playing important parts.

l         An air-to-ground observation program, initiated by Chinese and American scientists. It should provide a scientific basis for urban planning and disaster forecasts.

China will also implement a plan of industrializing traditional Chinese medicines with the adoption of international technology standards and participation of global scientists to help develop relevant technology in accordance with international standards.

"With the country's rapid scientific progress, Chinese scientists will join more bilateral and multilateral scientific plans in the future," said Zhang.

(China Daily January 13, 2004)