From space exploration to 5G commercialization: How cooperation bolstered sci-tech advances in 2019

BEIJING - From the first ever image of a black hole to global 5G commercialization and China's Chang'e-4 probe's landing on the moon's far side, the past year has witnessed numerous scientific and technological breakthroughs, which were made possible through stronger international cooperation.

As stated in the Shanghai Initiative issued at this year's World Laureates Forum, which groups top-notch scientists from around the world, "openness, cooperation, and community of science and technology are the pillars for scientific development."

COMMON DREAM

Exploring the universe has long been a common dream of humankind.

In April, the first ever black hole image was released, captured by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), a global network of eight linked radio telescopes.

Behind the achievement, which EHT project director Sheperd Doeleman hailed as "something presumed to be impossible just a generation ago," is an effort involving more than 200 scientists.

"This is where different cultures, different institutes, different countries and continents come together," said Heino Falcke, a professor with Radboud University in the Netherlands and chair of the EHT Science Council.

"That's not always easy to work together. But if you're driven by a common vision, by a common dream to see this black hole for the first time, then it's possible," he said.

"That's the beauty of science," he added.

Fifty years after Apollo 11 landed on the Moon, commercial space exploration is on a growth curve, and China's international space cooperation is gaining global prominence.

In January, China's Chang'e-4 probe touched down on the far side of the moon, becoming the first spacecraft to make a soft-landing on the moon's uncharted side. It carried four payloads developed by the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden and Saudi Arabia.

"Space exploration is a common aspiration shared by humankind, which is very significant for the future of human society," said Wu Weiren, chief designer of China's lunar exploration project.

"We expect more international cooperation to jointly explore outer space and pursue scientific discoveries," Wu added.