Over 2,000 Belt and Road scientists to conduct research in China

A total of 2,500 young scientists from Belt and Road countries and regions will come to China for short-term scientific research, said a Ministry of Science and Technology senior official.

Five thousand scientific, technical and managing personnel will be trained and 50 joint laboratories will be established in the next five years, said Chen Linhao, deputy director-general of the Department of International Cooperation of Ministry of Science and Technology.

He made the remarks at an event Tuesday organized by the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS), an intergovernmental organization established in 1994 that includes 14 Belt and Road members.

Chen said the ministry will support the organization in joining Belt and Road projects, as part of efforts to implement the Belt and Road Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation Action Plan.

Increased collaboration between COMSATS and the Chinese Academy of Sciences is expected, he added.

Li Yin, deputy director-general of the Bureau of International Cooperation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said he expected more cooperation between members under COMSATS and the Alliance of International Science Organizations (ANSO) in the near future.

ANSO was officially established in Beijing last November, initiated by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and science and education institutions from over 40 countries or regions and relevant international organizations.

Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences last year became COMSATS' Center of Excellence on Science and Technology.

Ma Yanhe, director of the institute, said it last year signed memoranda of understanding with the International Chemistry and Life Science Center of Karachi University, and plans to increase research on synthetic biology and its international training offerings for science organizations in Belt and Road countries.

Junaid Zaidi, COMSATS executive director, said its members welcome Chinese scientists and that more joint laboratories can benefit from effective cooperation.