On April 17, 2018, Wang Zhigang,Minister of Science and Technology, met with Maria Julia Munoz,Uruguay Minister of Education and Culture. The two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on China‘s development of science and technology innovation and the bilateral cooperation in science and technology innovation. 
   
Minister Wang Zhigang introduced to the Uruguayan side the important plans for science and technology innovation and development formulated at the 19th CPC National Congress and China’s considerations for international cooperation in science and technology innovation. He pointed out that the Nineteenth Party Congress put science and technology innovation higher on its agenda and stressed innovation as the primary driving force to lead development, a strategic support for building a modern economic system, and an important factor to serve the transformation of the Chinese economy from high-speed to high-quality growth. The Nineteenth Party Congress called for strengthening open cooperation in innovation capacity. This is a strategy for China to undertake international cooperation in science and technology in the new era. In the next stage, the Ministry of Science and technology will speed up science and technology innovation in various fields and continue to serve scientists and engineers and creating a favorable environment for innovation. Minister Wang Zhigang stressed that science and technology diplomacy is gaining a more important position in China’s overall diplomacy and China will not close its door to the rest of the world but will only open it wider in the future. Minister Wang Zhigang said that the Ministry of Science and Technology is willing to work with the Uruguayan side to deepen bilateral cooperation in science and technology innovation through co-building joint laboratories and strengthening exchanges between research personnel, contribute to the well-being of the peoples of the two countries, and make China’s contributions to the development of the world.
   
Minister Munoz responded to Minister Wang Zhigang’s views and suggestions. She said that the Uruguay side identified with the idea of“high-quality development”put forward at the 19th CPC National Congress and expressed appreciation and support for China‘s open cooperation in science and technology innovation. Minister Munoz pointed out that China-Uruguay cooperation in science and technology represents an important pillar of bilateral relations between the two countries and has received the attention of leaders of both countries. The Uruguay side is willing to strengthen cooperation between the two sides in agricultural science and technology and exchanges between young scientists and push forward continuous progress in the cooperation between the two countries.
   
After the meeting, Minister Wang Zhigang and Minister Munoz signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Science,Technology and Innovation between the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China and the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay.