Vice Minister Yin Hejun of the Ministry of Science and Technology met in Beijing with a Hong Kong delegation of scientists led by Joseph J. Y. Sung, President of the Chinese University of Hong Kong on January 9th, 2017. The delegation attended the Conference on National Science and Technology Awards. The two sides held discussions on how to leverage Hong Kong’s role in China’s development of science, technology and innovation, Hong Kong scientists’ participation in national science and technology programs and other topics.

Vice Minister Yin welcomed the visit of Hong Kong scientists to his ministry and congratulated on those who won China’s national science and technology awards in 2016. He pointed out that thanks to the joint efforts by the science communities of both sides, the mainland and Hong Kong have made a lot of achievements in the cooperation of science and technology innovation. The Ministry of Science and Technology has always valued the cooperation with Hong Kong, continuously facilitated Hong Kong researchers’ engagement in national programs and helped Hong Kong to leverage its advantages of “one country, two systems”. The Ministry will introduce relevant supporting measures for cooperation between the mainland and Hong Kong in science and technology innovation, expedite Hong Kong’s integration with the national innovation system and promote the socio-economic prosperity of Hong Kong.

Professor Joseph J. Y. Sung introduced Hong Kong’s research achievements that won the national science and technology awards in 2016 and expressed his thanks for the long-term support from the national level that enables Hong Kong to advance science, technology and innovation (STI). He pointed out that in recent years the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has actively promoted STI, improved various regulations and measures, and vigorously developed biomedicine, Smart City and robots. He noted that Hong Kong researchers are highly enthusiastic about devoting themselves to STI in China and have strong desires to participate in the process so as to improve Hong Kong’s research capabilities and contribute to the internationalization of mainland research institutes.

Also present at the meeting were officials from the Ministry, namely Director General Ye Dongbai from the Department of International Cooperation (Office of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs); Director General Qin Yong from the Department of High-tech Development and Industrialization; Deputy Director General Yu Jian from the Department of Innovation and Development; Deputy Director General Wu Xue from the Department of Resource Allocation and Management; Deputy Director General Guo Zhiwei from the Department of Basic Research; Deputy Director General Xu Jie from the Department of International Cooperation; Deputy Director General Sun Chengyong from the Department of Science and Technology for Social Development; Deputy Director General Chen Zhimin from the National Office for Science and Technology Awards and Deputy Director General Wang Yan from China Science and Technology Exchange Center.