Exhibition kicks off in Beijing to commemorate 60 years of international scientific cooperation | Partners | Belarus News | Belarusian news | Belarus today | news in Belarus | Minsk news | BELTA
BEIJING, 15 August (BelTA — People’s Daily Online) — An exhibition
themed on the history of cooperation between the China Association for
Science and Technology (CAST) and the World Federation of Scientific
Workers (WFSW) opened on Tuesday as part of the activities to celebrate
the 60th anniversary of the cooperation between the two sides.
The
WFSW is the first international organization that CAST joined. In 1964,
the Peking Symposium, the first large-scale international academic
conference held by China, took place, according to CAST.
Looking
back at the history of cooperation between CAST and WFSW, their shared
original aspiration and central theme have always been working together
for science. Chinese scientists actively participated in the preparation
and establishment of WFSW and related activities, promoting scientific
and technological cooperation. To facilitate this, China hosted the 1964
Peking Symposium, inviting scholars from around the world to discuss
the mission and development of science. Since the start of reform and
opening up in 1978, CAST has continued to deepen cooperation with WFSW,
committing to international scientific and technological exchanges,
advocating trust and cooperation, and contributing to maintaining world
peace, addressing global challenges, and promoting the sustainable
development of human society, according to a statement from CAST sent to
the Global Times.
So far, CAST and other Chinese scientific
associations have joined 875 international organizations, and nearly 800
international academic conferences are held in China annually. These
achievements and prospects in the field of science and technology
demonstrate China’s significant progress in opening up to the outside
world.
Looking ahead, CAST stated that they are unfolding a new
chapter in international scientific cooperation. This year marks the
60th anniversary of the 1964 Peking Symposium, providing an excellent
opportunity to review the history of cooperation and create a better
future. As part of this commemoration, CAST organized an exhibition
themed on the history of cooperation between CAST and WFSW.
China
will continue to adhere to a high level of openness to the world. In
today’s world, cooperation is the only way to achieve win-win results,
especially in the field of technology, as science knows no borders, Shi
Yigong, deputy president of CAST, said in a speech at the opening
ceremony of the exhibition.
In 1964, the WFSW and CAST jointly
organized the Peking Symposium, successfully breaking through
technological barriers and promoting international scientific exchanges.
Today, as we gather here, we are not only commemorating this conference
but also reflecting on the past and present, and opening up new
pathways for our future cooperation and mutual benefit, Shi noted.
Many
valuable materials that document the history of China’s scientific
cooperation with the world are displayed at the exhibition.
For
example, the first picture in the first unit of the exhibition, «The
Vision of the World,» comes from a report in the British journal Nature
on the conference “Science and the Welfare of Mankind,” held in February
1946 in London. Related questions concerning the establishment of WFSW
were discussed after the conference. Chinese meteorologist Tu Changwang
and the late nuclear physicist Qian Sanqiang attended the conference,
representing the Chinese science and technology community.
Another
picture in the third unit, «Enhancing International Collaboration,»
shows then-Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai meeting with representatives from
various countries attending the inaugural meeting of the WFSW Peking
Center and the preparatory meeting of the Peking Symposium in September
1963.
Co-chairman of WFSW, Jean-Paul Lainé, expressed his
appreciation for the positive, fruitful, and sincere cooperation between
CAST and WFSW over the past 60 years during the exhibition. He
emphasized that this collaboration should serve as a model for
cooperation between different scientific organizations worldwide.
For
example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, China shared information about
the virus with the world soon after the pandemic broke out. This is a
typical example of the benefits of cooperation, Lainé told the Global
Times.
Lainé emphasized the importance of cooperation and
communication in addressing global challenges such as the COVID-19
pandemic. He praised China for sharing information about the virus early
on, which he believes is a testament to the benefits of working
together.
However, Lainé also raised concerns about the threats facing such cooperation, particularly due to geopolitical tensions.
A
report published in Nature in July revealed a decline in research
collaborations between China and the US. «This decline is a really bad
signal. Regardless of the political climate, scientific communication
should remain unaffected, as the purpose of science is to benefit people
rather than governments,» Lainé stressed.
CAST is the largest
scientific organization in China, serving as a home for 120 million
Chinese science and technology workers. It represents China in 380
international scientific organizations and maintains long-term
cooperation with 136 scientific and engineering institutions in 49
countries, according to the association.
