On January 17, 2017, the 9th Meeting of the China-Chile Joint Committee on Intergovernmental Cooperation in Science and Technology was successfully held in Santiago, Chile. Co-chaired by Dr. Wan Gang, the Chinese Minister of Science and Technology and Professor Mario Hamuy, Head of the Chilean National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research, the meeting was attended by representatives of the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research. 

Minister Wan Gang remarked that science and technology cooperation is an important part of bilateral relations between China and Chile and that the fruitful exchanges and cooperation achievements in the fields of astronomy, renewable energy, and agricultural and earthquake science and technology made by the two sides have promoted social and economic development and livelihood improvement in both countries. Innovation is the key to more consolidated China-Chile relations, and the two sides should fully leverage the role of the joint committee on science and technology cooperation as a platform, strengthen collaboration in related fields, promote the industrialization of science and technology results, so as to drive industries in both countries to move to the high end of the global value chain and improve the well-being of the peoples of both countries.

President Mario Hamuy spoke highly of Chile-China collaboration in science and technology innovation. He noted that Chile-China cooperation in science and technology enjoys a solid foundation and broad prospects and the Chilean side is willing to undertake practical collaboration with the Chinese side within the framework of the Chile-China Science and Technology Action Program. He said that the Chilean side welcomes the proposal made the Chinese side to set up a joint laboratory and expressed the hope that the two sides could conduct joint technology demonstration and research in fields of common interest and promote personnel exchanges and cooperation between the two countries. 

Delegates of the two sides held in-depth exchanges on the topics of Antarctic cooperation, biotechnology, earthquake and earthquake engineering, astronomical observation, renewable energy and the establishment of joint laboratory and put forward plans for China-Chile science and technology cooperation in the next three years. 

After the meeting, the two sides signed the 2017-2019 Action Plan between the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China and the National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research of the Republic of Chile and the Memorandum of Understanding Between the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China and National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research on the Establishment of China-Chile Joint Laboratory.