A delegation of senior UK figures are visiting China to explore opportunities for scientific cooperation that can benefit both countries.
These researchers are tackling some of the UK’s biggest challenges, including climate change and health, and their work will be enhanced by new opportunities to collaborate with experts in China.
A UK delegation, comprising figures from the National Academies, the university sector, and UKRI, and led by Science Minister Lord Vallance, will meet with Chinese politicians, academics, and business leaders in Beijing today.
The meeting will enable them to agree on specific areas where the UK and China can work together on scientific cooperation, and where both countries stand to benefit.
Advancing scientific cooperation across some of the world’s most critical industries
Today’s 11th meeting of the UK-China Joint Commission on Science and Technology is part of the UK’s consistent and pragmatic approach to China, which is helping to deliver economic growth and supporting UK jobs and businesses.
Trade Secretary Peter Kyle has already secured over £1 billion of market access wins for British firms over the past five years, with world-class car-making and food and drink industries among them, as part of his visit to China in September.
The Joint Commission Meeting taking place today will discuss four specific areas of scientific cooperation where the UK sees potential benefits to working more closely with China.
The meeting will explore particular fields of research within climate change and environmental science, planetary science and astronomy, health research, as well as agriculture and food research.
Lord Vallance will see some of the opportunities this sort of work offers in the fight against climate change, in particular, when he visits the Institute for Carbon Neutrality, one of China’s leading decarbonisation research institutes, at Tsinghua University.
He will also visit Guangzhou’s UK-China CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage) Centre, where researchers and businesses from both countries collaborate on climate solutions for the future.
Benefits of partnerships between the UK and China
Scientific cooperation between the UK and China offers mutual benefits.
As home to four of the world’s top 10 universities and with a growing $1.2 trillion tech sector, the UK is a natural destination for cutting-edge science and research.
China, with 25% of the world’s R&D workforce and 20% of the world’s top academic institutions, brings significant science and research ambition and expertise.
Both countries are well-positioned to reap the benefits of targeted cooperation in areas such as global health, climate change, and the environment.
UK Science Minister Lord Vallance explained: “Science is international by definition, and we can achieve more when we work with others. This can be achieved through cautious, sensible, and informed international science cooperation.
“Harnessing the vast potential for our scientists and researchers to make joint breakthroughs in global health, clean energy, and more is something that the UK, China, and the world stand to benefit from.”
Challenging areas of disagreement are key to the collaboration
Today’s Joint Commission Meeting is part of the work to bring a consistent, long-term and strategic approach to managing the UK’s scientific cooperation with China, grounded in the UK’s national interests.
Throughout his engagements, Minister Vallance will continue to challenge China on areas of disagreement, as UK Ministers have consistently done in their discussions with Chinese counterparts.
This includes raising concerns over China’s support for Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine, the continued erosion of protected rights and freedoms in Hong Kong, including the case of British National Jimmy Lai, and cases of interference in the UK’s democratic system.
He will also raise concerns over China’s approach to data, intellectual property, and technology transfer, and make clear that the UK will never tolerate attempts by foreign states to suppress freedom of speech or academic freedom.
Lord Vallance concluded: “The UK wants a stable, consistent and mutually beneficial relationship with China – where we can be frank about where we disagree, support and uphold academic freedom, but also find targeted opportunities to work together that are in both our interests.”
