1. Strategic position of international S&T cooperation (ISTC) and ISTC?s roles in China's national S&T planning system

Science and technology make their progress through concerted efforts and reciprocal exchanges of scientists. At the first APEC S&T ministerial meeting held in 1995, President Jiang Zemin pointed out that the internationalization of science and technology had become a major development trend in today's world and a new pattern for international S&T cooperation with redefined division of work was shaping up. S&T advancement has become increasingly dependent on extensive international cooperation, especially in the fields of marine, atmosphere and environmental protection that relate to the present and future habitat of mankind and in the mega-science fields that call for close participation and cooperation of different countries in the world. S&T cooperation justifies its existence on the basis of reciprocity and mutual interests and on its benefits to the S&T advancement and economic development in different countries.
International S&T cooperation is an important component of S&T activities and it has played a positive role in promoting China's S&T advancement and enhancing the contribution of science and technology to the economic growth. International S&T cooperation is on the one hand instrumental for S&T and management personnel to get timely informed about S&T development trend in the world, on the other hand it could provide support for the decision making process that defines major strategic goals of S&T development plans.
Through well organized cooperative activities, the international S&T cooperation has played a leading role in supporting dedicated national S&T programs in the major fields, capacity building, building of industrialization system, building of supportive environ, S&T infrastructure development and S&T services. It has become a competent supplement to the resources for S&T plans as well as an important component and a long term activity for national S&T programs.
To meet with the fierce international competition and realize the frog-leap development of its S&T and economy, China shall conduct more extensive and intensive international S&T cooperation so as to make China's S&T activities merge smoothly into international and global environment.

2. China's policies on international S&T cooperation

2.1 Principles
Equality and reciprocal benefits, results sharing, protection of intellectual property rights, observance of international norms are all China's principles.

2.2 Guiding policies
With safeguarding the national interest and security as the fundamental objectives, ISTC should realize its roles as promoter, guider, supporter and service provider to foreign affairs, economy and S&T, in accordance with the requirements put forward by China's national economy, social development and S&T activities and with the overall deployment of national economic and S&T development strategies.
2.3 Strategies
Internationally, ISTC should support China's master foreign policies, and domestically, help implement the strategies of rejuvenating the nation with science and education and sustainable development. ISTC should also adopt an open strategy of "reaching out" and promote "thriving the trade with science and technology".

2.4 Strategic priorities for China's international S&T cooperation in the 10th five year plan period
The improvement of China's independent S&T innovation capacity shall be seated at the most important strategic position with focuses on strengthening inter-governmental cooperation with the major S&T powers. During ISTC, we should pay more attention to the digestion, absorption and adaptation of imported technologies, and actively encourage industrial enterprises to join international S&T cooperation and exchanges on the cutting edges of technological development.
Priority support shall be given to the commercialization of high technologies. We should promote China's high tech industries to enter international market, making their technical innovation activities in line with international norms, and merge into international communities on our own initiatives.
The implementation of west development strategies so as to accelerate the economic and S&T development in the west region is a major decision made by the Chinese Government in the new century. The international S&T cooperation shall tilt its weight towards the west development by creating more chances in international cooperation for the west region through different international cooperation channels. We should tap up the intellectual resources in international S&T community and encourage the flow of overseas intellectual resources into the west region. The key to the realization of the frog-leap S&T development in the west region is high quality personnel and the international S&T cooperation shall promote the flow of overseas intellectual resources into the west, the import of technologies suitable for the west development, the scientific and rational exploitation and utilization of west natural resources, and the improvement of ecological environment in the locality.

2.5 International S&T Cooperation Award
China established its China International S&T Cooperation Award in 1992 for recognizing and encouraging foreign S&T experts and S&T management experts who have rendered outstanding contributions to China's international S&T cooperation. In addition to this top national honorable award in the field of foreign S&T affairs, the other governmental agencies, such as the State Foreign Experts Administration, Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Municipality and other local authorities, have also created their own international cooperation awards or friendship awards.
From 1995 to 1998, 14 foreign experts from UK, Germany, Japan, USA, Russia, France, Singapore, etc. had been conferred with China International S&T Cooperation Award. Among the winners are foreign nationals who have been enthusiastic in S&T cooperation with China, though also including some famous people with Chinese blood, such as Tsung-dao Lee, Chen Ning Yang, and Leoh Ming Pei..

3. Current patterns of China's international S&T cooperation

3.1 Bilateral and multi-lateral S&T cooperation between China and foreign countries
3.1.1 Bilateral S&T cooperation
Before 1978, the inter-governmental S&T cooperation and exchanges between China and foreign countries were made mainly with the third world and east European countries. After 1978, China started its massive inter-governmental cooperation and exchanges with developed nations. Up to date, there have been 152 countries or regions in the world that have established S&T cooperation and exchange ties with China, of whom 96 countries had signed with China inter-governmental S&T cooperation agreements or economic, trade and S&T cooperation agreements.
3.1.1.1 Distribution of bilateral S&T cooperation ( please see PowerPoint chart made on the basis of inter-governmental S&T cooperation agreements)

Inter-governmental S&T cooperation agreements (as of March 30, 1999)
l With 23 countries or organizations in Asia: People's Democratic Republic of Korea, Mongolia, Pakistan, Kampuchea, Philippines, Bangladesh, Thailand, Japan, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Cyprus, Iran, India, Laos, Jordan, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, Israel, ASEAN, Indonesia and Syria;
l With 30 countries in mid-Asia and East Europe: Czech, Romania, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Albania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Uzbekistan, Estonia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Amnesia, Moldova, Tajikistan, Georgia, Slovenia, Azerbaijan, Croatia, Kazakhstan, Macedonia, Kirghizia, Latvia, Turkmenistan;
l With 11 countries in Africa: Sudan, Libya, Zambia, Nigeria, Algeria, Gabon, Morocco, Egypt, Tunis, Cote d?Ivoire, South Africa;
l With 17 countries in west Europe: France, Italy, Germany, UK, Sweden, Finland, Greece, Belgium-Luxembourg, Norway, Austria, Denmark,. European Union, Spain, Ireland, Switzerland and Portugal;
l With 14 countries in Latin America: Cuba, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Venezuela , Brazil,  Ecuador, Trinidad and Tobago, Nicaragua, Peru, Guyana, Bolivia, Uruguay;
l With 3 countries in North America and Oceania: US, Australia and New Zealand.
3.1.1.2 Current major bilateral S&T cooperations
China-US S&T cooperation, together with the trade and economic cooperations between the two countries, constitute the three major pillars in the bilateral relationship between China and US. The international S&T cooperation has played an extremely important role in promoting China-US relationship.  In 1998, the former US President Clinton expressed that China-US bilateral S&T exchanges and cooperation had made one of the most successful cooperative areas between the two countries. Some projects of China-US S&T cooperation possessed major S&T and economic importance with their results reaching the internationally advanced level. The remote sensing satellite ground station of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing electron-positron collider, China digital seismological network and marine sediment survey, among many others, are fine examples for such cooperation achievements.
The S&T cooperation has long been an active area between local regions of China and Germany. Almost every state in Germany has signed its formal cooperative agreement or S&T cooperative agreement with one or a number of Chinese provinces or municipalities.
China-Russia S&T cooperation has become a major component of the strategic partnership between the two countries in the 21st century.
3.1.2 Multi-lateral S&T cooperation
China has enjoyed an increasingly active multi-lateral S&T cooperation. There are about in the world 6,000 bilateral, regional and global S&T cooperative programs and several hundred bilateral or multi-lateral S&T cooperation funds. In a short period of just one year in 1999, China had become the new member to 34 international S&T organizations (5 of them are governmental organizations and 29 non-governmental). Up to 2001, the number of the international S&T organization enjoying China?s membership has cumulatively reached 1010.
The first APEC S&T ministerial meeting convened in October 1995 in Beijing has laid a foundation for the full-fledged S&T cooperation in the Asian and Pacific regions. In the meanwhile, the first Asia-Europe S&T Ministerial Meeting sponsored by China in October 1999 had kicked off the S&T cooperation between the two continents. The said two ministerial meetings have made the milestones for directing international S&T cooperation and multilateral S&T cooperation to serve diplomatic activities and S&T development, and enhanced the visibility of S&T cooperation in diplomatic activities.

3.2 Governmental budget for international S&T cooperation
Percentage of governmental budget for international S&T cooperation in total R&D budgets

Percentage in total R&D budgets Priority changes on international S&T cooperation
US 4.7% From S&T for diplomatic activities to diplomatic activities for science and technology
Korea 2-3% Construction of international research bases in joint with developed countries and carrying out high quality international cooperative studies
Israel 12%
India 6.0%
Brazil 2.1%
China From passively participating in foreign cooperative projects to a new vision where China plays the major part in cooperation.

3.3 Semi-official and non-governmental international S&T cooperations
Under the stimulation, demonstration and encouragement of inter-governmental S&T cooperations, the S&T cooperation and exchanges of semi-official and non-governmental nature have also witnessed remarkable development. For example, the S&T cooperation and exchange ties have been created between provinces or states, universities, research institutes and labs, research institutes and enterprises, and companies of China and US at different levels and in different forms. During the period of 1990-1995, the Chinese Academy of Sciences had been granted with fund support of US$ 68 million from different channels such as governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, foundations and international organizations. A number of renowned multinationals such as Dupon, HP, Microsoft, West Oil, DEC, IBM among many others have established cooperative relationship with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, which greatly promoted the commercialization of China's R&D findings and results through different cooperative projects.
China will strengthen its international S&T cooperation at semi-official and non-governmental level through not only encouraging foreign research institutes to establish joint research institutes or independent research entities in China but also through establishing research institutes abroad in the fields that may produce major impact on China's S&T and economic development.

4. China's national major international S&T cooperative program

4.1 The new ISTC approach that emphasizes shifting from passive to active stance and initiating cooperation projects from our side
China has for the first time proposed national major international S&T cooperation program in its 10th five year plan and established a dedicated Program for Priority International S&T Cooperation Projects, which is supported for its implementation by the international S&T cooperation funds created by the Ministry of Science and Technology. The Program has been officially kicked off in 2001.
In the past, China's international S&T cooperation was aimed at creating more channels for cooperation and the collaborative research projects were manly defined on the basis of basically similar technical levels on both parties or taking advantage of the respective strength of each party in the cooperation.  Such cooperation mode dominated by tour studies and assistance seeking has gradually given way to the new mode of joint investment, cooperative R & D and results sharing.  The Program on Priority International Cooperative Projects will play the coordination roles of the central government through pooling up domestic resources, attracting international S&T resources, enhancing China's S&T strength, and organizing major international cooperative projects at national level. China will change its position of "working for other bosses" as typical in the past cooperative activities through establishing dedicated funds for international S&T cooperation, supporting major international S&T cooperation projects, raising China's position in the international S&T cooperation, making China's participation in such cooperation on an equal footing with others countries, and realizing results sharing and reciprocal benefits.

4.2 Major aim
Better selected priorities (in terms of choosing projects with high ranking, high level and high starting point) with unified arrangement for strategic international cooperative projects that are able to remarkably improve China's national S&T innovation capacity and industrialization and internationalization of high technologies.

4.3 Major targets
l Support the nation's general diplomatic activities and safeguard national security;
l Take full advantage of international resources to promote the enhancement of China's S&T strength and innovation capacity, promote industrialization and internationalization of high technologies; promote China's S&T innovation activities in line with the international norms and gradually make them merge into the integration process of international S&T activities.
l Accelerate the completion of major national R&D tasks through the implementation of major international S&T cooperation projects and realize the frog-leap development in selected fields and on selected directions. Promote the active involvement of Chinese S&T communities in major multi-lateral and bilateral S&T cooperative projects so as to enhance China's visibility in international S&T communities and share the results derived from major international S&T cooperative projects;
l Create conditions and provide opportunities for overseas talents to participate in China's domestic S&T development and economic construction, and for the outstanding talents emerging in China's S&T innovation activities to perform in international arenas;
l Implement the strategy of "reaching out", promoting activities that try to thrive the trade with science and technology, supporting and stimulating China's advantageous technologies, qualified personnel, enterprises with international competitiveness and their products to enter international market;
l Strengthen China's S&T policy studies through international S&T cooperation so as to contribute to the reform of China's S&T system and improvement of its S&T management level;
l Promote the west development and stimulate the regional sustainable economic and social development;
l Promote the upgrading of China's overall level and ranking of international S&T cooperation through major international S&T cooperative projects.

4.4 Orientations of major tasks
4.4.1 Support the participation in mega-science and major international research programs
Strive to secure a seat in major international research programs relating to space technology, high energy physics, polar surveys and exploitation, life sciences, biotechnology, biodiversity, resources, environment and human health, making China's voice heard on major hot topics in international S&T. Priority support will be given to Chinese scientists to join 2 to 3 global or regional large multi-lateral international cooperation projects while making priority support available to 1 or 2 international projects initiated by Chinese scientists and characterized by China's certain advantage or specialty.
4.4.2 Major cooperative projects with developed nations and S&T powers
During the 10th five year plan period, we should select 8 to 10 major projects in the fields of information science and technology, life sciences, advanced materials, energy, agriculture, advanced manufacturing techniques and automation, marine technology and environment for cooperative research with US, EU, Germany, Russia and Japan, so as to obtain new knowledge about pressing topics in basic sciences and applied sciences. Priorities will be placed on the establishment of 5 joint labs or centers in China and 1 to 2 joint labs or centers in developed nations.
4.4.3 Establish China's technology demonstration base in developing countries
During the 10th five year plan period, priority support will be provided for the establishment of 2 to 3 China's technology demonstration bases in selected developing countries. We should assist and encourage Chinese high tech enterprises to join foreign aid projects, and support them, through the establishment of China's technology demonstration bases in foreign countries and favorable policies and initiation funds, to bid for major projects and create their own businesses in other developing countries with their own technologies and set equipment. We should practice a new strategy that emphasizes both export of human resources and technologies and tapping of overseas resources and market.

Along with the continuous improvement of China's comprehensive national strength and remarkable enhancement of its S&T capacity, and taking into account the fact that China will face deeper reform and a more opened market upon its imminent accession to WTO, the international S&T cooperation is entering a new development stage. The establishment of Program on Priority International S&T Cooperation Projects will be of great importance to creating efficient macro control mechanism and the unified deployment of strategic international cooperative projects that may remarkably improve China's national S&T innovation capacity and the industrialization and internationalization of high technologies, and enhancing China's international competitiveness in the 21st century.

5.  Successful Cases in International S&T Cooperation

Sino-US high-energy physics cooperation helped China succeed in constructing Beijing Electron-Positron Collider (BEPC), which boasted highest brightness of its kind in the world. The success of BEPC also brought along the development of China's high-energy electronics and other relevant industries.
From 1985 to 1989, China sent a total of more than 50 scientists and engineers to Germany for participating in the proton-electron collider program (HERA) and the construction of 50Mev proton linear accelerator. This exposure proved very important for China?s constructing and adjusting proton accelerator.
In 1994, China joined the international human genome project as the only member of developing countries, and completed sequencing of 1% of all human genomes successfully.
Lanzhou Modern Physics Institute of CAS reaped world-class achievements in the development of heavy-ion accelerator by collaborating with France, Japan, Germany, etc. Despite constraints on time and funding, this institute made the world's first determination of 5 kinds of nuclide disintegration charts as well as first synthesis of new nuclide Pa-239.
Sino-Japan cooperative research project "Observation and Experimental Research of Earth-Atmosphere Interaction in the Heihe Region" revealed the basic characteristics and mechanisms of land processes for typical arid climate regions in continental hinterlands. This research project received international attention, and has been listed among the World Climate Research Program and the international Man and Biosphere Program.
Among  top 10 S&T achievements for "863" Program in 1995, four were realized partly thanks to international cooperation, including synthetic aperture radar, underwater robot with maximum diving depth of 6000m,transgenic sheep,  and high power laser.
The automatic forecasting system for water regime in the Fuchunjiang River Valley was a cooperative project between the China National Meteorological Center and the European Meteorological Center. Put into use in 1992, this system has proved its excellence in promptness and accuracy of forecasts, thus reduced dramatically potential casualties and economic losses. From 1992 to 1996, the money loss reduction due to the system reached a cumulative 1.7 billion yuan. This cooperative project contributed to China's rapid improvement in medium-term numerical forecasts,and played an active role in the nation's preparedness for disastrous weathers.
In 1997, the Shanxi Association of Science and Technology of China invited 4 Japanese forestry experts from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to Shanxi to investigate the environmental remedy in the Yellow River Valley. As a result, a total of 35 million US dollars in loan was introduced from Japan for constructing ecological forests in 30 counties under 7 prefectures or cities across the Shanxi Province. With planned afforestation area of 120,000 hectares, this project would benefit 3.8 million hectares of land as well as 13 tributaries including the Shanxi section of the Yellow River, the Fenhe River, the Sanchuanhe River, etc.
A cluster of major civil engineering projects in China also closely involved foreign cooperation, such as Sino-Finland cooperative research into water transport in winter for Miyun-Beijing diversion canal, Sino-Japan joint feasibility studies on development and planning of Shanghai subway project, the Huangpu River bridge, Pudong new area, etc. Due to international cooperation, these projects upgraded engineering standards while promoting China's urban construction and renewal.
Starting in 1999, China has been trying out knowledge innovation program in its scientific community. This initiative has attracted international attention and interests, and created new opportunities for the nation?s international cooperation.

Science is common wealth of mankind. We believe that in the 21st century, international S&T cooperation will play more active role in diffusing S&T accomplishments, promoting world peace and advancing human civilization.