On September 5th, Vice Minister Zhang Laiwu met with Ralph Haupter, Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of Greater China Region in Beijing. The two sides exchanged opinions on various issues, such as enhancing S&T innovation and rural and educational informatization.

Vice Minister Zhang said that the Chinese government offers equal treatment to all enterprises legally registered in China and encourages them to carry out S&T innovation. Most of the Fortune 500 companies, including Microsoft, have set up research institutions in China, which showed that China’s S&T innovation development has provided a great platform for foreign companies to carry out research and development. Vice Minister Zhang also remarked that China is willing to share with other countries the development opportunities brought by scientific and technological progress. In 2010, the Ministry of Science and Technology, together with the Organization Department of the Central Committee of the CPC and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, launched the demonstration projects of rural informatization in several provinces, set up pilot programs in those provinces, and achieved remarkable progress. Vice Minister Zhang expected collaboration with Microsoft in rural and educational informatization.

Ralph Haupter presented Microsoft’s recent development and its strategy on development in China, and expressed appreciation for MOST’s long-time support. He said that Microsoft paid high attention to research and innovation in China, and stood ready to boost communication and cooperation with Chinese government and Chinese companies in various areas including rural informatization.

Participants of the meeting also include Mr. Zhao Yuhai, Director General of the Department of High and New Technology Development and Industrialization, Mr. Ma Linying, Deputy Director General of International Cooperation Department and Mr. Wang Zhe, Deputy Director General of the Department of Rural Science and Technology.