On April 7, 2016 the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality held the 2016 Joint Working Meeting and signed a new cooperation protocol. Guo Jinlong, Member of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, Wan Gang, Vice Chairman of the Chinese People‘s Political Consultative Conference and Minister of Science and Technology, Wang Zhigang, Secretary of the CPC Leading Group and Vice Minister of MOST, and Wang Anshun, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and Mayor of Beijing, attended the event. Li Meng, Vice Minister of MOST, and Sui Zhenjiang, Vice Mayor of Beijing reported on issues written in the protocol.

Secretary Guo Jinlong expressed thanks to MOST for its strong support and hailed the achievements produced by the ministry-municipality cooperation. He pointed out that innovation is the key driver of development and the superior strength of Beijing. The municipal government will follow the vision of innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development, work toward the goal of building a national STI center, coordinate actions with Tianjin and Hebei, and make greater contribution to an innovation-oriented country. 

Minister Wan Gang pointed out that Beijing held a prominent position in the national STI system, providing valuable innovation experience and leading the S&T reform across the country. Both MOST and Beijing should continue to underscore Z-park’s role as an experimental field of S&T reform and development and upgrade Z-park into a better place for business starters. Z-park should play a leading and pilot role in the coordinated development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, improve its internal layout, accelerate the transformation of S&T achievements, consolidate fundamental research and original innovation, and contribute more to the Winter Olympics.

At the meeting, MOST and Beijing municipal government reached agreement on three key issues – reinforcing efforts to build Beijing into a national STI center, pushing for coordinated innovation among Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, and preparing for the S&T action plan on the Winter Olympics. Minister Wan Gang and Mayor Wang Anshun signed the protocol on work consultation on behalf of MOST and the Beijing Municipal Government.