By Zhang Siyuan
On Dec. 13, China and the United States signed a protocol to extend the Agreement Between the United States and China on Cooperation in Science and Technology for an additional five years.The extension of the 45-year-old Agreement is of great significance that goes beyond the realm of technology.
Viewed from a historical context, the Agreement served as an ice-breaking accelerator for China-U.S. relations.It was one of the first intergovernmental agreements signed between the two countries after the establishment of diplomatic relations, playing a crucial role in stabilizing bilateral relations, enhancing mutual understanding, propelling sci-tech progress, and benefiting the peoples of both countries.
Under the guidance of the Agreement, China and the U.S.have created numerous stories of mutual benefit. The sci-tech cooperation between the two countries has evolved from sporadic communication in the early days to comprehensive, multi-level, and wide-ranging collaboration, covering more than 20 sub-fields including energy, environment, natural resources, medicine and health, earthquakes, oceans, and atmosphere.
For instance, the two countries launched a “folic acid revolution” within the framework of the Agreement, which confirmed the remarkable effects of folic acid supplementation in preventing neural tube defects, saving millions of newborn lives worldwide.
The Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment is one of the largest collaborative projects between China and the U.S. in basicresearch. It is also the second-largest overseas investment by the U.S. Department of Energyin particle physics, second only to the Large Hadron Collider. The groundbreaking results from this experiment were recognized by Science Magazineas one of the top 10 scientific breakthroughs of 2012.
The cooperation between China and the U.S. in influenza surveillance has substantially strengthened China’s influenza monitoring capabilities, expanding China’s influenza monitoring sites from a few dozen to over 30,000. The Chinese National Influenza Center was designated as a World Health Organization Collaborating Center, providing significant support for the global influenza vaccine development and pandemic preparedness.
Today, the Agreement has become a propeller for the steady, sound and sustainable development of China-U.S. relations. Chinese President Xi Jinping pointed out that as two major countries, China and the U.S. should bear in mind the interests of the whole world, and inject more certainty and positive energy into the turbulent world. This is also a consensus widely shared by insightful American individuals.
Over 1,000 American scientists and scholars signed a joint letter urging the extension of the Agreement, and many American experts emphasized the need for sci-tech exchanges to prevent bilateral relations from “derailing.” They argued that restricting sci-tech cooperation with China would inevitably hinder the progress of U.S. science and technology.
In recent years, certain individuals in the U.S. have unilaterally pursued technological hegemony, placing undue faith in suppressing China’s technological advancements. This approach of “technological isolationism”will ultimately harm the U.S. interestsand the shared interests of the world.
The extension of the Agreement underscores the aspiration of both countries – and the broader international community – for mutually beneficial sci-tech cooperation between China and the U.S., rather than decoupling and severing industrial and supply chains. It reflects a call for openness and shared benefits, as opposed to building “small yard with high fences.”
Looking ahead, the Agreement should serve as a multiplier for China-U.S. relations benefiting both countries and the wider world.
The advancement of science and technology thrives in openness, which is a fundamental rule of sci-tech progress. Recently, the First Committee of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted a resolution proposed by China – “Promoting International Cooperation on Peaceful Uses in the Context of International Security,” which calls for the peaceful use of science and technology and safeguarding the development rights of all countries.
The international community should work together to develop emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum computing,and address global challenges such as global warming. As the world’slargest developing country and developed country, China and the U.S. cannot ignore global challenges or allow the world to splinter into “parallel systems.” Instead, they must demonstrate leadership through cooperation.
The renewal of the Agreement not only acknowledges the fruitful achievements of China-U.S. cooperation in the past 45 years, but also demonstrates the two countries’ long-term commitment to sci-tech innovation, openness, and shared progress.
It is natural for countries to have difference, yet science and technology should remain a vital bridge connecting China and the U.S. and benefiting all humanity. The extension of the Agreement has been widely welcomed by international media, which recognize the synergistic potential of sci-tech cooperation between the two countries.
Over the past 45 years, Chinese and American scientists have jointly carried out extensive research, based on nearly 100 sub-agreements and cooperative projects under the Agreement. China remains committed to enhancing China-U.S. sci-techcooperation and striving for openness and shared benefits for the global progress in science and technology.
Sci-tech cooperation should become a “new oasis” in China-U.S. relations, and the two countries’ joint pursuit of knowledge and progress should be a “source of stability” for the international community.
It is hoped that the U.S. will adopt an open approach, work with China in the same direction, effectively implement the provisions of the Agreement, and ensure that the results of China-U.S. sci-tech cooperation truly benefit both countries and the world.
(Zhang Siyuan is an observer of international affairs.)
