On June 14 and 15, 2011, the Eighth Meeting of the ITER Council, the governing body of the International Fusion Energy Organization (ITER Organization) established for the implementation of the International Thermonuclear Fusion Experimental Reactor (ITER) project, was held in Aomori, Japan. Representatives of the seven members of the ITER Council, i.e. China, the European Union, the United States, Russia, Japan, Korea and India, together with observers of the International Atomic Energy Agency and officials from the various departments of the ITER Organization, participated in the meeting. Cao Jianlin, Vice Minister of Science and Technology and ITER Council member from China, headed a delegation to the meeting.