The fourth meeting of the Sino-British Engineering Technology Cooperation Steering Committee (the Committee) was held at the UK Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) in London on the afternoon of 1 October 2026. The meeting was conducted in a hybrid format. Around 30 experts and representatives from the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), the RAEng, the Chinese Embassy in the UK, the UK Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST), and other organizations attended the meeting. 

    CAE Vice President CHEN Jianfeng delivered an opening speech on behalf of CAE President ZHANG Yuzhuo, the Chinese Co-chair of the Committee. Sir Jim McDonald, former President of the RAEng and the UK Co-chair of the Committee, also addressed the meeting. DING Mingqin, Minister Counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in the UK, and Grace Carey, Deputy Director at BIST delivered opening remarks. The attendees fully affirmed the Committee’s important role in guiding bilateral exchanges in engineering science and technology. They highlighted its contribution to collaboration in carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), offshore wind and building energy efficiency, supporting two countries’ efforts to address climate change and advance sustainable development. Participants agreed to build on the consensus reached at the 11th meeting of the UK-China Joint Commission on Science and Technology, and to further explore new areas for collaboration.

    During the meeting, Professor-level senior engineer GAO Yanfei and RAEng Fellow Deborah Greaves reviewed the joint academic exchanges held in 2025 on low-carbon building and offshore wind, respectively. Doctor DING Ning, Deputy Director-General (Acting Head of the CAE Department of International Cooperation), and Shane McHugh, Associate Director for Engineering Diplomacy at the RAEng, outlined the bilateral cooperation proposals over the next three years. Experts from both sides exchanged views on priority areas and future activities. CAE Member LI Yang joined the meeting online and presented an initial plan for a CCUS academic exchange in 2027.

    Vice President CHEN Jianfeng and Sir Jim McDonald delivered closing remarks, emphasizing the importance of providing strategic direction for China-UK cooperation in engineering science and technology. The two sides will bring together expertise from industry, academia and research institutions to address shared sustainable development challenges. 

    Established in 2022, the Committee provides a long-term mechanism for exchanges between the Chinese and UK engineering communities. It promotes policy dialogue and technical exchanges across the fields of engineering and technology.