The Third Forum on China-South Asia Technology Transfer and Collaborative Innovation, co-sponsored by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China and Yunnan Provincial People’s Government, was held in Kunming from June 14 to 16, 2018 under the theme “Innovation Drives Development & Collaboration Wins the Future”.  

As an important side event of the 5th China-South Asia Expo, the forum consisted of a series of activities including high-level dialogue, business-to-business (B2B) technology matchmaking, bilateral B2B matchmaking, Workshop on Sub-center Development of China-South Asia Technology Transfer Center (CSTTC), China Innovation Tour by South Asian Young Talents and field visits to science parks. The forum further facilitated China-South Asia regional cooperation and technology transfer, explored mechanisms for regional S&T cooperation, discussed cooperation platforms to be built and shared by all participants, and gave a new boost to the common development of the countries in the region.

Government officials from different countries attended the high-level dialogue held on June 14 and gave speeches, including Zhang Jianguo, Vice Minister of Science and Technology of China and Administrator of State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, Li Xiuling, Deputy Secretary of CPC Yunnan Provincial Committee, Shahzad Aryobee, Minister of Communications and Information Technology of Afghanistan, Girirajmani Pokharel, Minister of Education, Science and Technology of Nepal, Sarath Amunugama, Minister of Science, Technology, Research, Skills Development & Vocational Training and Kandyan Heritage of Sri Lanka, and Muhammad Mudassir Tipu, Consul General of Pakistan to Chengdu. A total of more than 800 people representing governments, industries, universities and research institutes of China and South Asian countries attended the forum.

In his keynote speech, Vice Minister Zhang Jianguo introduced China‘s progress in science, technology and innovation (STI) cooperation, reviewed achievements in regional STI cooperation and talent exchanges in recent years, and spoke positively of the pragmatic cooperation in people-to-people exchanges, technical training and joint research within the framework of the China-South Asia Science and Technology Partnership Program. He emphasized that the Chinese government attaches great importance to STI and is committed to implementing the innovation-driven development strategy and strengthening open cooperation in innovation capacity building. He added that China is committed to advancing“Belt and Road”STI cooperation with South Asian countries, strengthening cooperation and exchanges in priority areas including people-to-people exchanges in S&T, establishment of joint laboratories, science park cooperation, and technology transfer to share the achievements and experience of S&T development and promote community of collaborative innovation. The ministers of science and technology and other representatives of South Asian countries attending the forum introduced their national S&T development, their S&T cooperation with China and related measures and initiatives to promote regional innovation-driven development.

During the high-level dialogue, Vice Minister Zhang Jianguo, Deputy Party Secretary of Yunnan Li Xiuling, and the Ministers of Science and Technology of South Asian countries witnessed the signing of S&T cooperation projects and jointly launched the China Innovation Tour by South Asian Young Talents. After the forum, Vice Minister Zhang Jianguo met separately with the ministers of Afghanistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka and Michiko Enomoto, Chief of ESCAP Asia-Pacific Center for Technology Transfer and exchanged in-depth views with them on bilateral STI cooperation.