Scientific and Technological Innovation Cooperation Bears Fruit along the Belt and Road: A Snapshot of the Decade of Achievements in Belt and Road Scientific and Technological Innovation Cooperation

Editor's Note:
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). From November 6–7, 2023, the inaugural Belt and Road Conference on Science and Technology Exchange was held in Chongqing. During the conference, the exhibition "A Decade of Achievements in Belt and Road Scientific and Technological Innovation Cooperation" showcased over 80 collaborative projects across various fields, vividly demonstrating the tangible progress made in building an innovative Silk Road. Based on the exhibition, this special report highlights some of the key achievements.

As of now, China and BRI partner countries have jointly established more than 50 " China-South Africa Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on Sustainable Exploration and Utilization of Mineral Resources" across multiple fields.

Over the past decade, the International Young Scientists Program has attracted more than 700 outstanding young scientists from over 40 countries to work and study in China.

China has also set up nine transnational technology transfer centers targeting ASEAN, Arab countries, Africa, and other regions.

China's "Science Island" helping Thailand build an artificial sun experimental device; China ENFI Engineering Corporation collaborating with South Africa to build a new type of mineral processing plant; The Palace Museum partnering with Greek cultural preservation organizations to explore cooperation models for cultural exchange... On November 6, the exhibition "A Decade of Achievements in Belt and Road Scientific and Technological Innovation Cooperation" opened in Chongqing, under the theme "Building the Road of Innovation Together, Promoting Collaborative Development." It comprehensively showcased the successes of BRI scientific and technological cooperation over the past decade.

In the ten years since the BRI was proposed, with active participation and promotion from all parties, scientific cooperation mechanisms have continued to deepen, exchanges between researchers have become closer, and achievements have grown increasingly abundant. To date, China has signed intergovernmental science and technology cooperation agreements with over 80 BRI countries, establishing a comprehensive, multi-level, and broad-spectrum scientific collaboration framework that has yielded solid, substantial results.

 Enhancing Mutual Trust and Deepening Sci-Tech and Cultural Exchanges

 Friendly relations between nations rely on close bonds between their people, and such bonds are built on mutual understanding.

An important component of sci-tech and cultural exchange under the BRI is the Ministry of Science and Technology’s International Young Scientists Program, which has been running for a decade.

“Over the past ten years, the program has attracted over 700 outstanding young scientists from more than 40 countries—including Myanmar, Pakistan, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Hungary—to work and study at over 200 research institutions across 28 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions in China, covering 15 academic fields such as agriculture and life sciences,” said Sun Jian, Deputy Director-General of the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Science and Technology, in an interview with Science and Technology Daily.

The program aims to foster sci-tech and cultural exchanges, cultivate young scientific leaders, and promote practical international scientific collaboration. It mainly supports young scientists under 45 from BRI countries to work at Chinese universities, research institutes, and enterprises for six or twelve months. The initiative helps strengthen global partnerships and lay a strong sci-tech foundation for building a shared future for humanity.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences' international exchange programs have become major platforms for inviting non-Chinese researchers from BRI countries to engage in scientific collaboration. Participants have contributed through fieldwork at research stations or academic exchanges at major conferences. Their presence has been captured in photos displayed in the exhibition’s "Enhancing Sci-Tech and Cultural Exchanges" section.

So far, the CAS programs have supported over 1,900 researchers from BRI countries, advancing sustainable development goals and enhancing basic scientific research capabilities.

The Belt and Road International Science Organization Alliance, founded by research institutions, universities, and international organizations from BRI countries, has grown to include 67 member organizations from 48 countries and regions.

China has established multinational technology transfer platforms such as the China-ASEAN Technology Transfer Center, the China-Arab States Technology Transfer Center, the China-South Asia Technology Transfer Center, and the China-SCO Technology Transfer Center.

Events like the Belt and Road International Big Data Competition, hosted by the International Knowledge Centre for Engineering Sciences and Technology under the Chinese Academy of Engineering, have trained thousands of high-end talents in big data and AI fields across BRI countries.

Sun Jian emphasized that China will continue to implement the International Young Scientists Program, encouraging more young researchers from BRI countries to experience China's vibrant scientific community and become ambassadors of international cooperation.

Collaborative Innovation to Boost Research Capabilities

“On July 25, Thai Princess Sirindhorn personally pressed the start button, officially launching the first tokamak fusion device in ASEAN countries. She also inscribed in Chinese the words 'Scientific Civilization' to mark the occasion,” recounted Song Yuntao, Director of the Institute of Plasma Physics at the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The "artificial sun" project, known as Thailand Tokamak 1, was shipped from China’s "Science Island" in Hefei to Bangkok in 2022, weighing over 84 tons and consisting of 462 pieces of equipment.

Following a 2017 agreement between China and the Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology, China leveraged its world-leading expertise in magnetic confinement fusion to assist Thailand in building this new-generation tokamak device, offering support in areas like talent training, superconducting magnets, cryogenic technology, high-power power supplies, system integration, and experimental operation.

In 2023, another group of Thai fusion researchers came to "Science Island" for training. After months of study, they were able to independently operate the device for experiments.

Song Yuntao said, "This is only the first step. The platform built around Thailand Tokamak 1 will help Thailand develop its fusion energy capabilities and foster progress in disciplines, engineering, and talent cultivation, eventually making Thailand a regional center for tokamak-based research and development in ASEAN."

This achievement represents just one example of China’s broader efforts to collaborate with BRI countries to boost scientific capabilities. Other efforts include:

 Providing renewable energy technologies to Ethiopia, Sri Lanka, Ghana, and Zambia;

 Setting up joint labs and research centers in Kenya, Tanzania, and other African countries.

Currently, China and BRI countries have launched multiple joint research programs and built over 50 China-South Africa Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on Sustainable Exploration and Utilization of Mineral Resources and 10 Overseas Science and Education Cooperation Centers across fields like agriculture, healthcare, information technology, renewable energy, and basic science.

Technological Cooperation Fuels Industrial Development

In the "Supporting Industrial Development" exhibition area, a video drew attention, showcasing the intelligent grinding system at South Africa’s Jinchuan Mineral Processing Plant, developed through China-South Africa collaboration. The system monitors milling and ore feeding in real time.

The collaboration combined South Africa’s deep expertise in mineral processing theory with China’s strengths in automatic control technologies. After two years of research, the system was successfully applied.

"This success was not accidental; it was based on outcomes from the China-South Africa Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on Sustainable Exploration and Utilization of Mineral Resources," said Han Long, Chairman and Party Secretary of ENFI Group.

Since its establishment in 2019, the laboratory has conducted extensive research in mineral processing and mining materials, achieving notable results that have already been applied in other BRI partner countries.

"Our collaboration has embedded principles of safety, environmental friendliness, and efficiency into project construction, boosting metal recovery rates by 10 percentage points and generating over 100 million yuan of annual economic benefits," Han Long explained.

Increased trust and exchanges between Chinese and South African scientists have yielded multiple practical applications. Notably, Professor Puti from South Africa’s University of Limpopo, a key partner, was awarded China's prestigious Friendship Award.

Also highlighted was China's promotion of Juncao mushroom cultivation [KZ1]technology in Rwanda through an agricultural demonstration center, helping orphanages establish sustainable agricultural industries. Local materials, short production cycles, and high yields have made Juncao a viable income source.

Beyond Juncao, Chinese institutions have also:

 Cooperated with Cuba on sericulture (silk production);

 Jointly developed new corn varieties with Indonesia;

 Partnered with Pakistan on avian disease prevention research.

China’s technology parks and transfer centers continue to serve as platforms for upgrading industrial technologies across ASEAN, Arab countries, Africa, and beyond.

Mutual Learning and Cultural Heritage Protection

At the "Supporting Cultural Heritage" section, the cooperation between China and Greece—two ancient civilizations—was particularly eye-catching.

New technologies jointly developed by China’s Palace Museum and the Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser of the Greek Foundation for Research and Technology include:

 Laser cleaning for cultural relics;

 Hyperspectral automatic scanning technology;

 Laser holographic speckle interferometry;

 Ultra-high-definition 3D digitization technologies.

"Greece is a leader in laser applications for cultural heritage, notably the laser cleaning of marble relics at the Acropolis," explained Wang Yuegong, Vice President of the Palace Museum.

Given the Palace Museum’s extensive collections of stone sculptures and architectural components, collaboration with Greece on relic preservation was a natural fit.

In 2020, China-South Africa Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on Sustainable Exploration and Utilization of Mineral Resources for Cultural Heritage Conservation was established, facilitating deep cooperation in technology development, equipment building, and talent training. The lab’s outcomes have already demonstrated significant value.

Through simulated experiments, the joint team developed safe laser cleaning methods for artifacts like the Lingzhaoxuan stone components in the Forbidden City. Hyperspectral imaging and laser holography have also been used to analyze murals at the Forbidden City’s Rutting Pavilion.

Over the past four years, the lab’s participating institutions have expanded to include 12 entities from various BRI countries, continually upgrading technologies and extending applications.

Stories like these—whether involving archaeological cooperation with Central Asian countries, digital cultural heritage preservation with Portugal, or restoration technologies at Cambodia’s Angkor Wat—illustrate how sci-tech innovation is helping preserve and renew humanity’s shared cultural treasures.

Through building cooperative frameworks and integrating multidisciplinary research, Chinese institutions are contributing wisdom and technological strength to protecting global biodiversity and heritage, enriching humanity’s shared legacy.

Source: Ruikeji WeChat Official Account
Article Link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/zMpmEaiYEUwXeo4ttGGztA

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