China-Russia science cooperation deepens

Scientific and engineering communities in China and Russia will enhance academic exchanges, training and the facilitation of scientific and technological innovation, experts said on Monday.

Energy, materials science, infrastructure and drug development are key fields with great potential for China-Russia cooperation, and the fruits of this labor will benefit both countries and the world, they added.

The Russian Academy of Engineering welcomed 25 new Chinese engineers as foreign academicians on Monday. The academy grants this prestigious title to noted engineers from some 30 countries, among them the former and current presidents of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

In a congratulatory letter to the ceremony on Monday, Andrey Denisov, the Russian ambassador to China, said that this recognition has played a positive role in enhancing the comprehensive strategic partnership and coordination for the new era that was signed into existence by the heads of both states in 2019.

"Scientists are bridges and mainstays of bilateral cooperation and innovation in science and technology," he said. "I hope scientists from China and Russia will work together to facilitate bilateral friendship, and contribute more to the development of both countries, and of humankind."

Gusev Vladimirovich, president of the Russian Academy of Engineering, said in a video call that China and Russia have a long history and solid foundation of cooperation in science and technology, with collaborative frameworks dating back to the Soviet era.

Now, both countries are cooperating in a variety of fields, including materials science, energy, environmental protection, infrastructure and pharmaceutical development, he said, adding that the energy sector is one of the most important fields and should be the focus of future cooperation.

"We are actively expanding cooperation with our Chinese peers, including on the governmental level," he said. Given the complicated global geopolitical climate, Vladimirovich said that Chinese and Russian scientists should collaborate and enhance cooperation in training talent and in other engineering disciplines.

Ma Junru, honorary president of the China Center of the Russian Academy of Engineering, said that the two countries should strengthen academic exchanges and discover new ways of deepening bilateral science and technology cooperation.

Due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on international travel, Ma said that building platforms and other channels for communication is key. Nongovernmental organizations can also play a role in promoting China-Russia dialogue among scientists.

Yao Weike, president of the China Association for International Science and Technology Cooperation, said that bilateral relations have steadily developed in the face of an ever-changing global geopolitical climate.

"Both countries are achieving new heights of cooperation in science, technology, training, and the commercialization of scientific findings," he said. China-Russia cooperation has a bright future, and will require support from both the public and private sectors, he added.