On April 26, 2019, Minister Wang Zhigang of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) met with Professor Atta-ur Rahman, Chairman of the Pakistani Prime Minister’s Task Force on Science and Technology.

Minister Wang Zhigang firstly welcomed Professor Atta-ur Rahman for visiting the Ministry on the sidelines of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. He pointed out that China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic partners and that the two countries have maintained long-term friendly cooperative relations in science, technology and innovation (STI). Minister Wang Zhigang noted that in recent years the two sides have established China-Pakistan Joint Research Centre for Small Hydropower Technology and China-Pakistan Joint Laboratory on Cotton Biotechnology and have carried out much pragmatic cooperation in agriculture, new energy, and disaster prevention and mitigation. He hoped that the two sides could forge further connectivity under the Belt and Road Initiative, jointly promote key cooperation in the Belt and Road Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation Action Plan, elevate bilateral cooperation in STI to a higher level and make active contributions to the deepening of China-Pakistan all-weather strategic partnership.

Professor Atta-ur Rahman said that Pakistan attaches great importance to science and technology cooperation with China and is willing to further enhance win-win cooperation in STI with China under the Belt and Road Initiative. He also expressed the hope that the Pakistani side could learn from China‘s experience, and strengthen pragmatic cooperation with China in building science parks and centers of excellence. 

Director-General Ye Dongbai of the Department of International Cooperation of MOST was present at the meeting.