On March 25, 2019,Minister Wang Zhigang of Ministry of Science and Technology, met in Beijing with Rafael Dezcallar de Mazarredo, new Spanish ambassador to China. The two sides spoke highly of China-Spain relations and the progress of China-Spain cooperation in science and technology, and exchanged in-depth views on STI developments in their respective countries and future directions of cooperation between the two countries.

Minister Wang Zhigang expressed his appreciation to Ambassador Rafael Dezcallar de Mazarredo for his visit to the Ministry of Science and Technology shortly after taking office. He said that China-Spain relations are at their best in history and that the two sides have maintained friendly STI collaboration for many years, identifying materials, renewable energy, ocean, health, agricultural food and astronomy as the priority fields for cooperation. Minister Wang Zhigang noted that there is a favorable atmosphere of science and technology cooperation between research institutions, universities and enterprises in the two countries and that the two sides have established an industry-academia-capital cooperation model. He hoped that the two sides could hold further consultations on joint funding mechanisms, issues calls for joint research proposals as soon as possible, explore the expansion of joint funding fields, deepen the exchanges of researchers, tap the potential of cooperation, and push forward pragmatic and efficient cooperation.

Ambassador Rafael Dezcallar de Mazarredo positively echoed Minister Wang Zhigang‘s views and suggestions and expressed his appreciation for China’s remarkable achievements in STI in the past 40 years of reform and opening up. He hoped that the two sides continue to consolidate and develop the mechanism of the China-Spain Joint Committee for Science and Technology Cooperation and convene a new session of the Joint Committee as soon as possible. Ambassador Rafael Dezcallar de Mazarredo stressed that promoting cooperation in STI is one of his key responsibilities and that he is willing to make every effort to promote the development of science and technology relations between the two countries during his tenure.

Ye Dongbai, Director-General of the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Zhang Weixing, Party Secretary of the Torch High Technology Industry Development Center, and Gloria Minguez, Cultural Counsellor of the Spanish Embassy in China were at the meeting.