Caption: Chen Jiachang, a vice minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology Photo: Website of the State Council Information Office

The 2nd Belt and Road Conference on Science and Technology Exchange will take place from June 10-12 in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, with participants from more than 100 countries and international organizations set to attend, a senior official said on Tuesday.

Guided by the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind, the conference aims to promote technological opening-up and cooperation, Chen Jiachang, a vice minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology, said at a press conference in Beijing.

This year's conference will advance the implementation of the International Science and Technology Cooperation Initiative, Chen said. He said the conference will provide an international platform for tech exchanges in aspects such as youth scientist communications, policy dialogue, cutting-edge area exchanges and industrial technology synergy, with the aim of strengthening consensus, enhancing cooperation and promoting cross-sectoral and cross-regional collaboration among Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) participating economies.

The conference has received an enthusiastic response and broad participation, with guests from more than 100 countries and regions scheduled to attend, Chen said, expressing confidence in achieving fruitful outcomes.

During the event, a series of bilateral intergovernmental science and technology cooperation documents will be signed, multiple special cooperation programs in key fields under the BRI are to be initiated, and new international major scientific initiatives led by Chinese scientists will be launched. Additionally, an international technology transfer center targeting BRI countries and a new group of joint research platforms will be established, Chen said.

In addition, a list of sustainable development technologies for BRI countries, a catalog of advanced applicable technologies for poverty alleviation, and demonstration scenarios for cutting-edge technological applications will be released, Chen said.

Further efforts will focus on facilitating inter-institutional science and technology cooperation agreements and advancing the integration of scientific and industrial innovation in a bid to ensure the benefits of technological advancements reach more countries and peoples, injecting greater momentum into building an innovative Silk Road.

This year's conference is co-hosted by government agencies and local governments, including the Ministry of Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Engineering, Chongqing Municipal People's Government and Sichuan Provincial People's Government, organizers said.

The first Belt and Road Conference on Science and Technology Exchange was held in November 2023 in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.

China has established scientific and technological cooperation with more than 160 countries and regions, signed 119 intergovernmental sci-tech agreements, and joined more than 200 international organizations and multilateral mechanisms, according to Chen.

China supports joint research by scientists from various countries and promotes practical cooperation in areas such as climate change, clean energy, and healthcare. In addition, China actively expands non-governmental channels for sci-tech collaboration, encouraging domestic researchers, institutions, universities, and enterprises to engage in broad and diverse forms of international exchange and research cooperation, Chen said. 

Global Times