2019 marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People Republic of 
China. Science and Technology Daily took the chance to interview a group of 
international leaders in the scientific arena and reviewed China's development 
history in the area and their personal stories. They also expressed high 
expectations for future cooperation with China. 

Scientific and technological development is driving China's growth momentum

Kazuki Okimura, the principal fellow of JST, spoke highly of the significant 
improvements of China in his bylined article: "China has built a highly 
developed transportation network of high-speed railways and highways, whose 
mileages are ten times than that of Japan today. New airports and ports are 
springing up everywhere, equipped with the most innovative and smart 
technologies. China's communications networks and grid system is also among the 
world's top tier. China is becoming a largest yet most efficient economy in the 
world's history."

Wang Lin, analyst of Clarivate in Asia-Pacific, sorted out the progress of 
China's basic scientific research from the perspective of global literature 
data. "Since the 1980s, China has made remarkable achievements in a large 
number of disciplines. China ranks first in the world in papers in materials 
science, second in agricultural sciences, chemistry, computer science, 
engineering, environment and ecology, geosciences, mathematics, and physics. In 
2006, China overtook the UK for the first time in the output of scientific 
papers, ranking second in the world, just behind the U.S."

However, China's contribution to the global community through scientific papers 
is only a tip of the iceberg. How does the global science community see China's 
development and the source of such momentum? 

Phil Coates, director of the Polymer Interdisciplinary Research Center at the 
University of Bradford and professor of the Royal Academy of Engineering, 
shared his viewpoint in an interview with Science and Technology Daily 
reporter: that currently, the efforts of supporting scientific research from 
the Chinese government are there for all to see.

"Chinese governments, from Beijing to local authorities, all attach great 
importance to and strongly support scientific and technological development, 
especially basic discipline research," said Ali Mohammad, an Iranian 
mathematician at Anhui University who agreed with Professor Coates. "When I 
talk to different mathematicians around the world, including American 
mathematicians, they are saying, 'If you wish to do research now, go to China.'"

"Highly anticipated" -- the common word academia comment on the future 
cooperation with China (second subtitle)

Sir Paul Nath, distinguished British biologist, Nobel Prize laureate, and a 
foreign academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told the reporter that 
science is the common language for the whole human being; international S&T 
cooperation is not only important to science and technology development but 
also an essential way to promote friendship between countries.

Vialatte Philippe, the head of the science and technology section of the EU 
Delegation to China, commented, "China is developing at an unprecedented speed 
in technology innovation." He expects to see more China-Europe cooperation in 
S&T innovation under the "Horizon Europe" framework in the future.

"China and France have been highly open and excellent partners in the 
pharmaceutical industry," said Alain Mérieux, President of Fondation Mérieux. 
"It is simply wrong for countries to block scientific and technological 
exchanges for political reasons. France will always play a major role in 
exchanging with China (in the western community). The two countries will 
continue to forge win-win cooperation in many key areas, including civil 
nuclear energy, biology, etc."

"The win-win cooperation between Uzbekistan and China in science and technology 
is benefiting the whole world," said Stanislav Prokopchuk, the reporter from 
the Uryadovy Kuryer. He added, "Ukraine and China have profound cooperation 
potentials in basic science and applied technology; we are looking with great 
expectation for a combined effort in building research and innovation center in 
the future."

Aleksandar Titkov, Head of Science and Education Projects Group at Sputnik News 
Agency and Radio, commented that the increasing number of jointed projects 
between higher educational institutions in the two countries would "create more 
common interests and mutual benefits." Moris Topaz, the renowned Israeli 
medical expert and recipient of the "China Friendship Award," said, "The 
medical field is unique in its diversity, which has the great potential for 
cooperation between Chinese and Israeli counterparts."

source: Science and Technology Daily