CAS President Bai Chunli (R, Front) signs an agreement with CNES President Jean-Yves Le Gall on space science research cooperation on January 13 in Beijing. [IMAGE: BUREAU OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES]

Bai Chunli, President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), met with a French delegation on January 13 in Beijing for extensive discussions on scientific research and education cooperation between China and France.

The delegation consisted of Frédérique Vidal, Minister of Higher education, Research and Innovation of France, Laurent Bili, French ambassador to China, Antoine Petit, Chairman and CEO of the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), Jean-Yves Le Gall, President of the Centre National D’Etudes Spatiales (CNES), and Gérard Mourou, 2018 Nobel Prize Winner in Physics.

Zhang Yaping, Vice President of CAS, attended the meeting.

Bai signed cooperation agreements with Petit and Le Gall respectively on the environment and biodiversity, and space science research.

Bai extended a warm welcome to Vidal. He said in order to implement the two joint declarations between China and France, CAS has recently strengthened collaboration with French government departments and research institutions in the environment, biodiversity, space science, artificial intelligence, energy and infectious disease prevention and control.

Bai described the progress of CAS in integrating science and education and developing large scientific devices and satellites, and expressed his hope of promoting cooperation in these areas between the two sides. He added that the cooperation agreements reached between CAS, the CNRS and the CNES are of great significance in that regard.

Vidal congratulated and fully affirmed the fruitful cooperation between the two sides in various fields. She hoped they will further enhance their joint efforts in the environment and biodiversity, particle physics and space science, and promote exchanges between the young scientists of the two countries.

Representatives of CAS's related research bureaus and institutes, and staff of the French Embassy in China, participated in the event.

Source: Bureau of International Cooperation, Chinese Academy of Sciences