BERLIN — Science and technology cooperation between China and Germany has been highlighted as a strong point of ties between the two countries during Premier Li Keqiang’s ongoing visit in Germany.
Premier Li and his German counterpart, Angela Merkel, have co-chaired the fifth round of intergovernmental consultations and agreed to strengthen cooperation on scientific and technological innovation.
This year also marks the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Sino-German Intergovernmental Scientific and Technological Cooperation Agreement, which has over the last four decades become a key source of collaboration.
Since the two countries adopted the joint action plan known as ‘shaping innovation together’ in 2014, they have been advancing ties in such areas as molecular medicine, green and lightweight mobility, clean water and intelligent manufacturing.
Meanwhile, research institutes and businesses from both countries have also been cooperating closely so that research outcomes can be quickly applied to production.
Zhang Jianwei, director of the TAMS, an artificial intelligence (AI) research center at Germany’s Hamburg University, said cooperation on AI is promising and will affect a variety of other areas such as education, health, intelligent system and robotics.
Li Zhenguo, head of the photovoltaic company LONGi Green Energy Technology, said there is huge potential for China and Germany to cooperate in the solar power industry, given their ambitious plans to transform to clean energy.
“Germany has made great contribution to the industry. With technology evolvement and material cost reduction, solar energy might become the cheapest power source in the future and benefit the worlds’s eco-system,” Li said.
The research team led by Werner Hurenbach, professor at Germany’s Dresden University of Technology, has built joint research centers with China’s locomotive manufacturing company CRRC and the electric vehicle branch of Beijing-based car maker BAIC, respectively.
