On February 20, 2023, Zhang Guangjun, Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China (MOST), met in Beijing with a French delegation led by Aurélien Lechevallier, Director General of Globalization, Culture, Education and International Development from the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. Both sides exchange in-depth views on bilateral cooperation in science, technology and innovation.

　　Vice-Minister Zhang Guangjun said that since China and France signed the intergovernmental agreement on science and technology cooperation more than forty years ago, the two countries have carried out sound cooperation in arranging academic seminars, exchange of scientific researchers, and establishing joint laboratories, and achieved a series of practical results. The S&T partnership and traditional friendship between the two countries have been continuously consolidated and deepened. MOST is willing to strengthen science, technology and innovation (STI) cooperation with the French side, expand the fields and channels of cooperation, promote exchanges between Chinese and French scientists and researchers, and improve cooperation mechanisms and build cooperation platforms, so as to provide technology support for jointly tackling global challenges such as climate change, and inject fresh impetus into the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and France.

　　Director General Aurélien Lechevallier said he agrees with the Chinese side’s plan on bilateral STI cooperation in the next stage, adding that France would like to keep close communications with China on a variety of topics, build more platforms to strengthen S&T and people-to-people exchanges and pragmatic cooperation, and push bilateral cooperation to a new height.