On July 24, 2019, the Fourth Session of Science and Technology Cooperation Subcommittee of China-Uzbekistan Cooperation Committee was held in Tashkent. The meeting was co-chaired by Lu Ming, Member of the CPC Leading Group of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, and Behzod Yuldashev, President of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan.

The two sides briefed each other on the status quo, priorities, plans and major achievements of science, technology and innovation (STI) in respective countries, and reached important agreement on various topics, including the current status and prospects of science and technology cooperation, supporting the establishment of joint research centers and laboratories, expanding regional science and technology cooperation between the two countries, and jointly selecting and funding R&D projects. The two sides agreed to further expand science and technology cooperation in such key fields as biomedicine, astronomy and archaeology, solicit and co-fund a new batch of joint R&D projects within the framework of the regular session of the subcommittee; support relevant research institutions and universities to build key joint R&D centers and laboratories through mutual personnel visits and joint project implementation; and strengthen STI cooperation within multilateral mechanisms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The Chinese side will invite Uzbekistani young scientists to come to China for short-term research through the Talented Young Scientist Program and encourage Uzbekistani science and technology management personnel to attend technology training workshops organized by the Chinese side.

After the meeting, the two sides signed the Minutes of the Fourth Session of the Science and Technology Cooperation Subcommittee of the China-Uzbekistan Cooperation Committee. According to the Minutes, the fifth session will be held in China in 2021.

During the visit, the Chinese delegation also held meetings with Chinese Ambassador to the Republic of Uzbekistan Ms. Jiang Yan and the Minister and first Vice-Minister for innovation and development of Uzbekistan, and visited the Central Asian Center of Drug Discovery and Development of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Archaeology of the Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences.