Chinese Science Academy Head Discusses Space, Arctic Exploration With Russian Counterpart

The president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Bai Chunli, told Sputnik that he had discussed with the president of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), Alexander Sergeev, space cooperation and cooperation on Arctic exploration

SANYA (China) (UrduPoint news / Sputnik - 25th March, 2019) The president of the Chinese academy of Sciences, Bai Chunli, told Sputnik that he had discussed with the president of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), Alexander Sergeev, space cooperation and cooperation on Arctic exploration.

A RAS delegation, headed by Sergeev, is currently on a working visit to China, where it will take part in the Chinese-Russian symposium on deep-water exploration of world's oceans, set to be held on Monday and Tuesday.

"We had a meeting with RAS president yesterday ... Mister Sergeev has suggested two other spheres of cooperation. The first one is related to our observatory in Tibet. RAS would like to strengthen astronomy cooperation. He has also suggested that Chinese scientists be able to take part in scientific research of the North Pole and in [developing of] the project of a Russian space station," Bai said on the sidelines of the symposium.

Bai added that he had reminded to Sergeev that China was going to create its own space station as well.

"The Chinese Academy of Sciences is in charge of the entire upcoming scientific research related to the space station, so I think it would be great if we cooperate with Russia on this issue first," Bai said.

Bai went on to say that Sergeev was also going to hold visits to several research institutes in Shanghai. According to Bai, he and Sergeev hope that Russia and China will enhance their neurobiology cooperation.

He voiced belief that Russia and China had great possibilities to boost their scientific cooperation.

"The academies of sciences of China and Russia are very strong state research structures, we have a huge space for expansion of our cooperation. The heads of the two countries exchange visits, they have established mutual political trust between the countries, and this is why we now have a larger area for scientific cooperation," Bai said.

He recalled that the two academies had been cooperating since 1956 and had recently decided to strengthen ties. Last November, the Alliance of International Science Organizations in the Belt and Road Region was created in Beijing, and Sergeev became its co-chair.

Bai expressed hope that scientific symposiums would promote expansion of bilateral cooperation between Russia and China.