By He Yin
China and Russia recently launched an opening ceremony for their Year of Scientific and Technological Innovation via video link. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin sent congratulatory letters respectively to the opening ceremony.
China and Russia launched the Year of Scientific and Technological Innovation as planned, despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting the high level and distinctiveness of the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era between the two countries. It not only bears significant importance for the two countries’ bilateral ties and development, but also once again sets an example for international cooperation.
During Xi’s visit to Russia in June last year, the two leaders jointly announced the decision to designate 2020 and 2021 as the “Year of Scientific and Technological Innovation” in each other’s country, the first national theme year titled “scientific and technological innovation” between the two countries.
With concerted efforts from both China and Russia, the number of activities scheduled to be held under the Year of Scientific and Technological Innovation has exceeded 1,000, which showed the huge potential of the two sides’cooperation on scientific and technological innovation.
Under the framework of the Year of Scientific and Technological Innovation, the two countries will expand cooperation scope of scientific and technological innovation, better cultivate strategic flagship projects, utilize joint labs and research centers, promote exchanges of personnel and coordinate entrepreneurship and investment, so as to intensify their comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era.
China and Russia enjoy a long history and rich content of scientific and technological innovation, which has made tangible contribution to their economic construction and technological progress. China signed with the Soviet Union the first inter-governmental scientific and technological cooperation agreement in 1954, and a scientific and technological cooperation agreement with the Russian government in 1992. The subcommittee of sci-tech cooperation under the China-Russia Prime Ministers’ Regular Meeting mechanism, the China-Russia Innovation Cooperation Coordination Committee, as well as the Meeting of the Heads of Science and Technology Ministries and Departments of the SCO Member States have all offered communication channels and platforms for China-Russia sci-tech cooperation. The China-Russia Year of Scientific and Technological Innovation further demonstrates the resolution of the two countries to improve their cooperation on scientific and technological innovation.
China and Russia are both global science powers, and their deepening cooperation on scientific and technological innovation conforms to their interests.
Putin said in his congratulatory letter that scientific and technological innovation is one of the most promising areas of cooperation between Russia and China that will determine the future of the two countries and have a bearing on the improving of the living standards of the two peoples. The results of China-Russia cooperation on scientific and technological innovation plays an important role in such fields as aviation, aerospace, maritime development, healthcare, chemical engineering and daily life, largely propelling the development of digital economy in the two countries.
After the outbreak of COVID-19, epidemic control specialists from the two countries visited each other and exchanged frontline experiences on epidemic containment, making positive contribution to the global health care development.
According to Russian media, under the framework of the two countries’ Year of Scientific and Technological Innovation, Russia’s Mechnikov Research Institute of Vaccines and Sera and the Institute of Microbiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IMCAS) have signed a memorandum on establishing a joint research lab for coronavirus. The cooperation on scientific and technological innovation between the two countries is believed to constantly improve the well –being of the two peoples.
China-Russia cooperation on scientific and technological innovation enjoys a prosperous future. The two countries are constantly enriching relevant cooperation mechanisms and enhancing their supports for scientific and technological innovation cooperation, so as to build a more solid foundation for cooperation.
Ivan Danilin, an expert from the Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences, pointed out that the interaction between China and Russia in scientific and technological innovation has its missions, phased measures, as well as cautious and clear assessment, and to jointly hold the Year of Scientific and Technological Innovation will create opportunities for the two countries to further enhance cooperation in this field.
China-Russia scientific and technological cooperation attaches equal importance on research and education, and the two countries are joining hands to cultivate talents for future common development. The education sectors of the two countries, apart from building inter-school cooperation mechanisms, have also established multiple university alliances in engineering, medical science, economics and education. As a new semester kicks off this year, another 300 freshmen are enrolled by Shenzhen MSU-BIT University, a non-profit higher educational institution jointly established by Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government, Lomonosov Moscow State University and Beijing Institute of Technology. All these signal a bright future for China-Russia scientific and technological innovation cooperation.
China-Russia relationship is one that enjoys the highest level of mutual trust and coordination and the highest strategic value. Scientific and technological innovation cooperation is gradually becoming a new highlight as the two countries advance the upgrading of bilateral relations to a higher level, constantly enriching the connotation of their comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era.
China-Russia scientific and technological innovation cooperation will improve the two countries’ technological capabilities and international competitiveness, enhance their strategic coordination in the innovative ecological system, strengthen their strategic cooperation in the adjustment of global sci-tech governance and the trend of the world’s scientific development. It will surely have a positive impact on the promotion of global scientific and technological innovation cooperation.
Xi said in his congratulatory letter that China and Russia, as responsible major countries in the world as well as scientific and technological powers with important influence, should move forward with the tide of the times, grasp the trend of development, and advance the all-round, multi-level and wide-ranging exchanges and cooperation between the scientific and technological personnel of the two countries, so that they can make greater contributions to the reform of the global governance system and the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.
