The Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) signed Strategic Cooperation Agreement on the afternoon of August 31, 2012. The signing ceremony was attended by Zhou Ji, President of CAE, Xie Kechang, Vice President of CAE, Bai Yuliang, Secretary-General of CAE, other CAE Members Cai Xianghong, Qiu Dingfan, Su Xingtian, Tu Hailing, Huang Boyun, Xue Qunji, Fu Xianzhi, Gao Congkai, Wang Yide, Jiu Jiongtian, Xu Delong, Wu Yicheng and Liu Yexiang, as well as Wang Jun, Governor of Shanxi Provincial People’s Government, and Zhang Ping, Vice Governor of the province. President Zhou Ji and Governor Wang Jun signed on the Agreement on behalf of both sides. And Zhang Ping presided over the signing ceremony.

The signing of the Agreement marked a brand new stage of cooperation between both sides. According to the Agreement, both the Academy and the Province would strengthen collaboration in terms of policy consultation, training and introduction of science and technology personnel, research and industrialization development, construction of high level innovative platform, organization of high level academic activities etc.

Prior to the signing ceremony, both sides conducted very friendly conversations and exchanges. Zhou Ji said that, each time he came to Shanxi, he felt greatly impressed and inspired by the achievements Shanxi Province had made in reform and development, the flourishing development as well as the enterprising and youthful spirit of the local people. Zhou said that the cooperation between the CAE and Shanxi Province had been deepened along the years, and a number of CAE Members’ Consultation Tours or survey and study tours had been organized, aiming at helping with the local development. Zhou also expressed heartfelt thanks to Shanxi Provincial Government for its concern and support to CAE through the years.

Zhou also said in the meeting that, Shanxi, located in Central China, is one of the most important birthplaces of Chinese civilization, enjoying a long history and a splendid culture. After the founding of New China, especially since the reform and opening-up policy was carried out, as well as the whole nation entered a new historical period, Shanxi Provincial People’s Government has rallied and led local people in implementing the Scientific Outlook on Development earnestly, taking scientific development as the theme, focusing on the acceleration of transformation of the economic development pattern It has worked extremely hard and stayed very much united. Shanxi Province has taken on a new look thanks to all these efforts and has made extraordinary achievements in terms of reform and opening-up, as well as in its modernization drive. Shanxi has made enormous contributions to the safeguarding of national energy security, according to Zhou.

Zhou also pointed out that, Shanxi was currently facing golden opportunities for development as well as severe unprecedented challenges. Therefore, under this new situation, more efforts are required to achieve scientific development as well as the acceleration of the transformation of economic development pattern, thus enhancing the scientific and technological innovation capabilities greatly, striving to realize the objectives of building a major modern manufacturing industrial base in China, a modern logistics center for central and western China, a big province characterized by productive service industry as well as an economically powerful province in central China, thus playing an exemplary role for the realization of scientific development for other regions rich in natural resources across China.

Zhou stressed that as the central government had put forward the promotion of innovation-driven social and economic development, CAE, as the top honorary and advisory academic institution in engineering science and technology sector in China, would love to make more contributions to the scientific development of Shanxi Province. Scientific development relies heavily on scientific decision-making, which in turn, depends heavily on scientific consultation. Zhou promised that CAE would give full play to its role of the national engineering science and technology think tank, as well as the comprehensive advantages of CAE Members coming from a great range of disciplines, sectors and industries, further strengthening strategic studies as well as advisory services based on major strategic demands facing the economic and social development of Shanxi Province. CAE would encourage CAE Members to come up with more strategic, comprehensive and forward-looking advisory suggestions and recommendations, contributing to the scientific development of Shanxi Province through a variety of ways.

Wang Jun extended gratefulness for the valuable support provided by the CAE through the years for the economic and social development of Shanxi Province. Wang also talked extensively about the situations and missions of its economic and social development, hoping to further strengthen cooperation with CAE, and promote the optimization & upgrading of industrial structure, as well as advances in related areas in Shanxi Province, thus boosting the leaping development of its transformation process. (By Zhao Wencheng, September 2012; translated by Liu Chang)