In order to deliver on the agreement reached at the 20th China-EU Leaders??Meeting and deepen pragmatic China-EU cooperation in science, technology and innovation (STI), the 14th Meeting of China-EU Joint Steering Committee on Science and Technology Cooperation was held in Beijing on December 13, 2018. The meeting was co-chaired by Zhang Jianguo, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and Administrator of the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, and Jean-Eric Paquet, Director-General of Research & Innovation of the European Commission. 

At the meeting, Vice Minister Zhang Jianguo pointed out that China-EU STI cooperation is increasingly characterized by equality and mutual benefit, multi-party participation, and improvement in both quality and quantity, contributing to the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and EU. He remarked that the Joint Steering Committee has focused on practical cooperation and expressed the hope that the two sides will further review existing achievements, summarize experience and push forward the implementation of 2018-2020 China-EU Flagship Initiative in Research and Innovation, while exchanging views on future cooperation and jointly planning a roadmap for China-EU STI cooperation. Director-General Jean-Eric Paquet appreciated China?痵 achievements in STI since its reform and opening up. Given that the two sides reached agreement on STI in the Joint Statement of the 20th China-EU Leaders?疢eeting, Director-General Jean-Eric Paquet hoped that China and the EU will push their cooperation in depth through this meeting. 

Representatives of the two sides exchanged views on topics such as the reform of China??s research programs, the implementation of the EU?痵 Horizon 2020, the overall planning of Horizon 2020 and the reciprocal opening of science and technology programs, reported on the evaluation and implementation of the China-EU joint funding mechanism, reviewed cooperation achievements and talked about future cooperation plans in civil aviation, agriculture, food and biotechnology, microbial technology, environment and sustainable urbanisation and multilateral cooperation, discussed the overall framework of the roadmap for China-EU cooperation in research and innovation, and deliberated on future cooperation in water resources, artificial intelligence, basic research, health, ocean, space, personnel exchanges and new modalities of cooperation. 

The meeting was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Water Resources, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China Science and Technology Exchange Center, National Remote Sensing Center, National Center for Science & Technology Evaluation, China Association for International Exchange of Personnel, Chinese Aeronautical Establishment, the Chinese Mission to the European Union, DG for Research and Innovation of the European Commission, the delegation of the EU Mission to China, etc.