The 10th session of the APEC Policy Partnership on Science, Technology and Innovation (PPSTI) was held in Hanoi, Vietnam from 11 to 13 May 2017. The event was attended by some 100 delegates from 14 APEC economies, including China, the U.S., Russia and Vietnam, as well as guests from Macao, APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) and Association of Pacific Rim Universities. Chen Linhao, Vice-Chair of PPSTI and Deputy Director General of the Department of International Cooperation of the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology led the Chinese delegation and co-chaired the session.

The meeting took the theme of Natural Hazards Science and Policies that Support Strong Science, Technology and Innovation Ecosystems in the APEC Region. The economies discussed PPSTI’s internal affairs, external cooperation, new initiatives, project management reform and other subjects. A policy dialogue on science popularization was also held on the margins of the meeting. On the afternoon of May 12th, a side event of APEC Research and Technology Forum was held at the ROK’s initiative. PPSTI and the Education Network under the Human Resources Development Working Group (HRDWG) held a joint group meeting on the morning of May 13th. Participants discussed such topics as the training of professionals for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, science, technology and innovation in higher education, ways to promote cooperation across different fora and reached broad consensus. During the meeting, the award ceremony of the APEC Science Prize for Innovation, Research and Education (ASPIRE) 2017 was held under the theme “New Material Technologies”. Professor Zhu Yanwu, a young scholar from the University of Science and Technology of China recommended by the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, stood out from nominees of 21 economies. It was the second ASPIRE prize won by a Chinese scholar following last year’s conferment to a Chinese scientist.

The Chinese delegation had 20 members, coming from the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhejiang University of Technology, APEC Center for Technology Transfer, International Technology Transfer Network and other organizations. They reported and introduced the projects supported by the China APEC Fund, covering such fields as SMEs, Industry 4.0, prevention and control of communicable diseases and technology transfer. Participants also took an active part in policy dialogues, various side events, the joint group meeting, the mechanism of women’s economic cooperation and the APEC App Challenge.

Background: APEC is an important organization for promoting socio-economic development and cooperation in economic and technological progress in the Asia-Pacific region. Renamed from the APEC Industrial Science and Technology Working Group (ISTWG) in August 2012, PPSTI is one of the working groups under the APEC SOM Steering Committee on Economic and Technical Cooperation (SCE). PPSTI’s leading body, the PPSTI governing board, is comprised of one Chair, two Vice-Chairs and one Principle Advisor. China is currently a Vice-Chair from 2017 to 2018. PPSTI meets regularly, once in the first half and once in the second half of each year, for discussions about STI cooperation. MOST is the administrative authority and contact point of the mechanism in China.