China United States Photo: VCG

China and the United States signed a memorandum on Friday to amend and expand the U.S.-China agreement on science and technology cooperation. They agreed to extend the agreement for another five years, starting August 27, 2024, according to China’s Ministry of Science and Technology, Xinhua news agency reported.

On January 31, 1979, Deng Xiaoping, then Chinese leader, and the 39th U.S. President Jimmy Carter signed the agreement during Deng’s visit to the United States. This is one of the first intergovernmental agreements signed between the two countries following the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Since then, it has been renewed approximately every five years, paving the way for scientific and technological exchanges between the two countries. The deal was extended for 6 months in August last year and again in February this year.

“The renewal of the agreement sends a positive signal and has profound significance for China-US technological cooperation and global technological progress,” Wang Peng, an associate researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told Global on Friday. Times.

Wang said the renewal signifies the commitment of both sides to maintain and deepen exchanges and collaboration in the technology sector. Since its inception in 1979, the agreement has served as a cornerstone of cooperation between the two countries, facilitating in-depth collaboration in various areas.

Wang noted that the renewal will create more opportunities and platforms for cooperation, promote technological innovation and foster talent development, thereby advancing the joint development of technology sectors in the two countries.

On a global scale, this collaboration will facilitate the sharing of technological resources and inject new impetus into global technological progress, Wang added.

Li Yong, a senior researcher at the China International Trade Association, told the Global Times on Friday that the agreement has created significant opportunities for technological exchanges between the two countries. This not only meets the mutual interests of the two sides, but also meets the expectations of the international community.

The potential of China-US technological cooperation can be seen in multiple fields, especially in basic sciences, advanced technology research and development and innovative applications, Li said.

China has advantages in market scale and consumer demand, while the United States leads in technological innovation and research. If the two countries can engage in in-depth cooperation in these areas, it will boost global technological progress and benefit all mankind, Li said.

The extension of the agreement comes at a time when the United States has intensified its technological crackdown on China, particularly regarding semiconductor exports.

“Science knows no boundaries. Politicizing technology can only turn what should be a collaborative effort for human progress into a tool for political struggle, ultimately harming all parties involved,” Li said .

In response to tensions over the deal, a Chinese IT scientist told the Global Times on Friday that Sino-U.S. technology cooperation is mutually beneficial when cooperative, but harmful to both sides when conflictual.

The Chinese government will continue to deepen international scientific and technological cooperation between governments and civil society, as well as expand cultural and technological exchanges, Chinese Minister of Science and Technology Yin Hejun said in September.

China has established scientific and technological cooperation ties with more than 160 countries and regions and signed 118 intergovernmental agreements on such cooperation, according to Yin.