Chinese Science and Technology Minister Xu
Guanhua Friday signed an agreement with his Thai counterpart
Korn Thapparansi to push forward the two countries' cooperation in
science and technology.
??
The
Sino-Thai memorandum was aimed to set up framework and priority
fields for bilateral scientific and technical cooperation.
??
The documents also specified methods to further scientific and
technical cooperation, including information exchange, experts and
scientists visiting and joint research program.
??
The Chinese government has worked out its mid-and-long term
national plan for science and technology development over the next
15 years, Xu said at the signing ceremony. Improving international
cooperation in science and technology is one of the major parts
of
the national plan, he said.
??
The Thai government has long attached great importance to
cooperation with China in developing science and technology, said
Korn.
??
Signing of the memorandum will further the two sides' good
cooperation in the related fields, he added, noting it will also
benefit the comprehensive bilateral relations.
??
China and Thailand have started cooperation in developing science
and technology since 1978, when the two governments first signed a
related agreement.
??
According to the agreement, a committee of scientists and officials
from both countries meet once in every two years to review and work
out cooperation plans in science and technology.
??
The two countries have been carrying on some 40 cooperation
projects in science and technology yearly, Wang Xiajuan, project
officer of Chinese Science and Technology Ministry, told
Xinhua.?
(Xinhua News Agency July 30, 2005)