On June 17, 2022, the Tenth Meeting of the China-Chile Mixed Committee on Science and Technology Cooperation and the Second Meeting of the Science and Technology Subcommittee of the China-Chile Intergovernmental Standing Committee were held via video link. Chinese Minister of Science and Technology Wang Zhigang and Chilean Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation Flavio Salazar co-chaired the meeting and delivered keynote speeches. Representatives from both sides exchanged their views at the meeting.

Minister Wang Zhigang stressed that Chile was the first South American country to establish diplomatic ties with the People’s Republic of China. For more than half a century, China and Chile have maintained a healthy and stable bilateral relationship, and carried out fruitful cooperation in various fields, bringing tangible benefits to both sides. President Xi Jinping and Chilean President Gabriel Boric exchanged correspondence and reached important consensus on seeking greater progress in growing China-Chile comprehensive strategic partnership. Today’s meeting marks an important step in implementing the consensus of the two presidents, and provides an opportunity for the two sides to jointly plan for future cooperation in the field of science and technology.

Minister Wang Zhigang said that both countries attach great importance to science, technology and innovation, and science and technology cooperation between China and Chile enjoys broad prospects. Since the Ninth Meeting of the China-Chile Mixed Committee on Science and Technology Cooperation and the First Meeting of the Science and Technology Subcommittee of the China-Chile Intergovernmental Standing Committee in 2017, the two sides have made new progress in joint research funding and joint laboratory construction, and conducted sound exchange and cooperation under the China-CELAC Science, Technology and Innovation Forum, a region-based multilateral cooperation mechanism. It is hoped that the two sides will build consensus for common development, pool efforts toward a common future, join hands to push China-Chile science and technology cooperation to new heights, and provide more scientific and technological solutions to global challenges.

Minister Salazar applauded China’s important achievements in countering the COVID-19 pandemic and promoting science and technology development, and acknowledged the importance of the meeting in charting the course for future cooperation between the two sides. Chile is willing to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with China in the field of science and technology, and work with China to push for the progress of science and technology, drive the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, promote social prosperity and development and improve people’s quality of life.

The meeting was co-chaired by Xu Jie, Deputy Director-General of the Department of International Cooperation of the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, and María Soledad Morales, China Affairs Coordinator of the Asia-Pacific Department of the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Participants from the two sides shared the policies and best practices of science and technology development, discussed cooperation in key areas of science and technology of mutual interest, and reached consensus on future cooperation plans.

Other attendees of the meeting include Chinese Ambassador to Chile Niu Qingbao, Director-General Cai Wei of the Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Director-General Zhang Quan of the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality, and Deputy Director-General Wang Zhenyu of the International Cooperation Bureau of the Chinese Academy of Sciences on the Chinese side, as well as Undersecretary Carolina Gainza of the Chilean Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation, Chargé d’affaires Sergio Narea of the Chilean Embassy in Beijing, Director-General Allan Najum of Science, Energy, Education, Innovation and Astronomy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Vice President Enrique Aliste of the University of Chile on the Chilean side.