Scientific co-op between China, Germany still deepening

Sino-German scientific and technological cooperation has come a long way after more than three decades of joint efforts and is heading towards deeper and more sustainable levels, China's Minister of Science and Technology Wan Gang said on Thursday.

Speaking on the sidelines of the fifth Hamburg Summit, Europe's largest Sino-European business conference, Wan told Xinhua that fruitful results have been seen in joint research and exchanges since China and Germany agreed on scientific and technological cooperation in 1978.

The two countries have conducted in-depth cooperation in various fields including sophisticated manufacturing, information technology, green energy, the auto industry and high speed railways, Wan said, adding that the cooperation was still deepening.

"Chinese and German scientific and technological institutes have been cooperating with each other to integrate production, teaching, and research and establish joint research centers and innovative research centers in order to realize deeper and more lasting development," the minister said.

Wan is also the vice-chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, the top political advisory body. He was invited by the summit as a representative of the Chinese government.

He noted that the second round of Chinese-German intergovernmental consultations co-chaired by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Aug. 30 this year saw the signing of more than a dozen of cooperation agreements, covering fields such as energy, biotechnology, environment and ocean and polar research.

Taking the development of electric cars as an example, Sino-German cooperation in this field not only covered key technologies such as electrochemistry, battery, electric driving systems, but also included technological standards, market entry and the development of smart transportation, he said.

"This is an all-round cooperation," Wan said, "Products for the future should be jointly developed so that they can cater to the demands in both German markets and Chinese markets."

He said exchanges and communication were important foundations for future cooperation, as intergovernmental consultation could enable the two countries to candidly discuss strategies, cooperation and policy details.

Wan also encouraged exchanges between young people of the two countries to achieve better mutual understanding.

"I lived in Germany for over ten years to study and work," Wan recalled. "Over more than 30 years since China introduced the policy of reform and opening up, there have been tens of thousands of people like me who came to Germany to study and work, including more than 30,000 Chinese students who are studying here at present."

"Every one of them can contribute to China-Germany friendship, which I believe is the most important foundation of cooperation between our two countries in the future," he said.