The Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) and the People’s Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region jointly held a seminar and signed a strategic cooperation agreement in Nanning on September 18, 2021. CAE President Li Xiaohong and Lu Xinshe, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the People’s Congress of Guangxi, delivered speeches, while Lan Tianli, Governor of Guangxi, introduced the autonomous region’s S&T innovations. CAE Vice President He Huawu and Fei Zhirong, Vice Governor of Guangxi, signed the strategic cooperation agreement.

Li said the CAE would further its cooperation with Guangxi centered on its needs while giving full play to the advantages of CAE members and their findings. He said by implementing the strategic cooperation along with the S&T Bridge Initiative, CAE member study tours and other efforts, long-term cooperation will be established. While focusing on nonferrous metals, intelligent manufacturing, rural revitalization, the ecological environment and traditional Chinese medicine, efforts should further extend to strategic research into Guangxi’s economic and social development as well as S&T innovation by cooperating with local S&T forces to tackle key problems in science and technology, as well as jointly developing and introducing more high-level talents for the development of Guangxi in the new era. 

Lu said he hopes the CAE will conduct special research focused on the overall development of Guangxi, introducing more members and experts to jointly tackle key S&T problems for enterprises and institutions in Guangxi, as well as strengthening the cooperation between the members and talents. The effort should extend to encouraging members to apply their S&T achievements in Guangxi for application and commercialization, as well as building Guangxi into the S&T innovation and cooperation zone targeting ASEAN while providing intellectual support for S&T, and economic, social and industrial development in Guangxi. 

CAE members Wang Guodong, Song Baoan, Bao Zhenmin and Liu Liang then delivered respective speeches on promoting transformation of the metal materials industry, industry-university-research collaboration in agricultural enterprises, green development of the aquaculture industry and S&T cooperation in Traditional Chinese Medicine. 

The tour also facilitated six cooperation agreements signed by five Guangxi enterprises involved in the Bridge Initiative and the Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences and CAE members Song Baoan, Wang Guodong, Hou Baorong, Zou Xuexiao and Liu Shaojun. CAE members Kang Shaozhong, Zheng Jielian, Hou Baorong, Zou Xuexiao and Liu Shaojun and relevant local officials attended the agreement signing. 

Li and his delegation inspected the Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medical Plants and the Guangxi Institute of Industrial Technology during their stay in the autonomous region. A delegation led by He Huawu also conducted studies in Guigang, Beihai, Qinzhou, Fangchenggang and Chongzuo.