Beijing (TDI): China and the United States have inked a protocol to amend and extend the Agreement Between the United States and China on Cooperation in Science and Technology.
Ministry of Science and Technology said in a statement that both sides agreed to extend the deal for further 5 years, effective from August 27, 2024.
In January, 1979, then Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping and the US president Jimmy Carter inked the deal during Deng’s visit to the US.
It was one of the first intergovernmental deals signed between the two nations following their establishment of diplomatic ties.
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Since then, it has renewed approximately every 5 years, paving the way for sci-tech exchanges between the two nations.
The deal was extended for six months in August 2024, and again in February this year.
Mao Ning, Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson, told journalists earlier this year that the nature of scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation between China and US is a win-win situation.
The deal focuses on basic research in fields such as weather, geology and oceanography.
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It assists US scientific agencies with research related to air quality monitoring, tsunami warnings, influenza data, agriculture, and pest management.
Another senior State Department official said the deal framework enables agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the departments of Energy and Agriculture to propose cooperation and initiate data-sharing accords and joint research projects with their Chinese counterparts.
