On 18 January 2024, H.E. Ambassador Zheng Zeguang and his wife Counselor Hua Mei hosted a special reception for the 2023 newly-elected British members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) and their spouses to celebrate the traditional Chinese Laba Festival and usher in the Chinese New Year.
Ambassador Zheng warmly congratulated the British scientists on being elected as foreign members of the CAS and the CAE. He noted that since the signing of the China-UK Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement in 1978, cooperation between the two countries has made steady headway and achieved tangible results, benefiting the people of both sides. Under the exchange mechanism between the CAS and the CAE on the Chinese side and the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering on the UK side, an increasing number of scientists from the two sides have joined each other’s foreign members, and become bridges as well as catalysts for mutually beneficial sci-tech collaboration between China and the UK.
Ambassador Zheng pointed out that China’s modernisation focuses on high-quality development and sci-tech innovation is at the heart of it. China advocates closer international collaboration. The International Science and Technology Cooperation Initiative proposed by China last November calls for the pursuit of science, innovation-driven development, open cooperation, equality and inclusiveness, solidarity and coordination, and benefits for all. It advocates an open, equitable and non-discriminatory environment for sci-tech development, and upholds the idea that sci-tech achievements should be shared by all.
Ambassador Zheng noted that the world has entered a new period of accelerating transformation and turbulence. In the face of the questions of where humanity should be headed, what kind of world to build and how to build it, President Xi Jinping has given China's answer, that is, countries in the world should work together and build a community with a shared future. To this end, China calls for an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalisation. China will continue to share opportunities brought by its modernisation with other countries, and work together to build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity.
Ambassador Zheng said that China and the UK are both countries with important global influence. Deepening mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples and ensuring the steady growth of bilateral ties on the basis of mutual respect and win-win cooperation is in the fundamental interests of both countries and meets the trend of the times. He said that all the scientists present at the event are staunch supporters of China-UK cooperation and have played an important role in promoting cooperation on sci-tech and education, and people-to-people exchanges between the two sides. He hoped that they will continue to support and promote China-UK cooperation and make greater contributions to promoting the well-being of the people of both countries as well as addressing global challenges.
In conclusion, Ambassador Zheng said that the upcoming lunar year will be the Year of the Dragon, and that dragon symbolises strength, wisdom and auspiciousness in Chinese culture. He wished all the guests and their families happiness, success and good luck in the new year.
