Li Meng, Vice Minister of Science and Technology of China, met with Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely in Jerusalem on November 21st, 2016. The two recalled the history and looked forward to the future of bilateral innovation cooperation, and discussed the preparatory work for the third meeting of China-Israel Joint Committee on Innovation Cooperation (JCIC) and key missions of future cooperation.

Li said the JCIC is the first innovation-oriented cooperation mechanism China established with a foreign country, and it plays a significant role in advancing bilateral innovation cooperation. The two countries share similar development objectives in S&T, education, culture and healthcare and have complementary advantages. 2017 marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Israel. As JCIC coordinators, China’s Ministry of Science and Technology and Israel’s Foreign Ministry should maintain close communication and coordination to prepare for the third JCIC meeting.

Ms. Tzipi Hotovely spoke highly of the remarkable achievements the two countries have made from innovation cooperation in recent years, saying that the Israeli government would like to work together with the Chinese side and prepare for the third JCIC meeting. She hoped the two sides can expand the joint funding mechanism of research projects, reinforce innovation cooperation between business communities, advance the China-Israel innovation cooperation center and innovation park to provide favorable conditions and services for bilateral innovation cooperation, take further steps to strengthen S&T and people-to-people exchanges, push the bilateral innovation cooperation to a new high with more fruitful outcomes.