The Department of Rural Science and Technology and the China Rural Technology Development Center jointly organized a working meeting on S&T extension service on March 20, 2008. Officials from local S&T Departments participated in the meeting, coming from Liaoning, Fujian, Chongqing, Ningxia, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Shandong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Sichuan and Guangdong. Participants also included those who were from the Department of Rural Science and Technology, Department of Policy, Regulations and Reform, and the China Rural Technology Development Center.

Local officials updated others on the S&T extension service and discussed about how to facilitate this endeavor and how to innovate in the system. They agreed that the service had come to a new stage where only an innovative system could lay a solid ground for future progress. Efforts should be made to build up training bases for the service persons to underpin their entrepreneurial drive and services. Pilot works of S&T extension service would be carried out in the business area to support rural enterprises technologically, make them more innovative and stimulate the local economy. This pilot undertaking is of great significance as it complements the pilot work of innovation in enterprises and bolsters technological innovation.

A consensus was reached on further developing the extension service system and adopting more patterns in the pilot drive. Arrangements were made concerning the training bases and the pilot work at enterprises. It was concluded that follow-up efforts would be initiated as soon as possible after the meeting.