1.Scientific and Technological Collaboration Agreement between China
The Joint Committee held its Third Session in Beijing, China, on September 21, 2005. The South African delegation was led by H.E. Mr. Mosibudi Mangena, Minister of Ministry of Science and Technology of South Africa. Both sides reviewed with satisfaction the science and technology cooperation science the Second Session of the Joint Committee. It is noted that the past two years saw a good momentum of China-South Africa science and technology cooperation and substantial progress was made. The meeting enlisted the following key cooperation areas: mining and metallurgy, transportation, biotechnology, nanotechnolgoy, information and communication technology and new materials. In order to assess research proposals in accordance with the above-mentioned key areas, the Meeting agreed to establish a working group. The Protocol was signed by Mr. Yao Weike, Deputy Director General of Ministry of Science and Technology of China and Dr. Chris Scheffer, General Manager, Department of Science and Technology of South Africa. Mr. Mangena and Dr. Wu Zhongze together witnessed the singing of the Protocol of the Third Session of the Joint Committee.
China-South Africa Science and Technology Cooperation Forum was held ahead the Third Session of the Joint Committee. The theme of the Forum was "cooperation on S&T, common development'. The aim was to establish a effective platform to facilitate the S&T cooperation between two countries. Mr. Mosibudi Mangena, Minister of Science and Technology of South Africa and Dr. Liu Yanhua, Deputy Minister of Ministry of Science and Technology of China took part in the meeting. More than 100 representatives from both sides attended the forum and more than 20 of them gave the presentation, which covered transportation, medicals, nanomaterial, S&T development planning, information and communication technology.
2. Key S&T communication between two counties
Since the S&T cooperation relation was established between China and South Africa in 1999, the collaboration between the science communities in two counties have been strengthened greatly. Mr. Thabo Mbeki, president of South Africa visited 10MW High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTR-10) in Institute of Nuclear And New Energy Technology in Tsinghua University in China and gave high evaluation on cooperation in research and development of modular high temperature gas-cooled reactor. At the same time, two ministers from the Ministry of Land and Resources of China and Ministry of Minerals and Energy of South Africa signed MOU in mining cooperation.
On June 2002, Mr. Song Jian, vice president of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and president of Chinese Academy of Engineering, visited South Africa to promote "Spark Program". On August 2002, Ms. Deng Nan, deputy minister of Ministry of Science and Technology of China participated in World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) held in South Africa. On September 2002, Mr. Wu Chuanji, minister of Ministry of Information Industry of China, signed MOU in information and communication cooperation with his counterpart of Ministry of Communication of South Africa. Some high-level delegations from South Africa also visited China this year, such as minister of Ministry of Transport of South Africa and president of South African Academy of Engineering.
On January 2003, Minister Xu Guanhua of Ministry of Science and Technology of China accompanied Vice Premier Li Lanqing of China to meet Mr. Ben Ngubane, minister of Ministry of Art, Culture, Science and Technology of South Africa, exchanging views about further promote S&T cooperation between two countries. South African side expressed great interests in the role of "Spark Program" in improving biotechnology and quality of lives of farmers. Chinese side also hoped to cooperate with South Africa in some fields such as high temperature gas-cooled reactor. On October 2003, Chinese delegation led by Mr. Wu Zhongze, deputy Minister of Ministry of Science and Technology of China, took part in the Second Session of the Joint Committee in South Africa.
In 2004, communication between science communities in two countries increased greatly. More than 60 delegations from China visited South Africa, in which there were 18 high-level delegations. Last November, the Jiangsu Provincial Science and Technology Department organized a 59-people delegation to participate in the South Africa International Science, Innovation and Technology Exhibition and favorable results were achieved. Both sides reviewed 76 cooperation proposals and 10 of these were supported. Our side also proposed the idea of establishing "Spark Technology Demonstration Zone" which was supported by Ministry of Science and Technology in both countries.
Communication activities in S&T fields in 2005 were active. High-level delegations from both countries visited each other as followings: Mr. Cao Kangtai, the head of Legislative Affairs Office under State Council of China visited Department of Health of South Africa discussing legislative issues in Aids control. Mr. Du Qinglin, Minister of Ministry of Agriculture of China visited Department of Agriculture of South Africa exchanging views on agricultural cooperation protocol. Both sides agreed to cooperate in agricultural machinery and Livestock species. Deputy Minister of Ministry of Water Resources of China visited Department of Water Affairs & Forestry of South Africa and signed MOU of water affairs cooperation. Mr. Hu Yadong, Deputy Minister of Ministry of Railway of China visited Blue Train in South Africa. Mr. Mosibudi Mangena, Minister of Ministry of Science and Technology of South Africa, visited Beijing, China, to participate in the Third Session of Joint Committee and the first China-South Africa Science and Technology Cooperation Forum. Dr Mantombazana Tshabalala-Msimang, Minister of Ministry of Health of South Africa, Ms. Lulu Xingwana, Deputy Minister of Ministry of Minerals and Energy of South Africa and Deputy Minister of Ministry of Agriculture of South Africa also visited China to promote cooperation between two countries.