BRI countries highlight innovation-driven development

Senior officials from countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) reiterated that innovation-driven development is the right path to addressing global challenges during a high-level event in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on Wednesday.

Science and technology ministers of 41 BRI countries attended the Second Belt and Road Ministerial Meeting on Science, Technology and Innovation, where they engaged in deep discussions about exploring new potentials and paradigms for technological cooperation to establish a science, technology and innovation community along the BRI.

Chinese Science and Technology Minister Yin Hejun hosted the meeting and said that China is committed to fostering an open, fair, just and nondiscriminatory international environment for scientific and technological development, aimed at jointly addressing global challenges such as climate change, food security and energy security.

Yin said the Chinese government has signed bilateral government-to-government agreements on scientific and technological cooperation with more than 80 BRI countries, as well as set up more than 70 BRI joint laboratories and 10 international technology transfer centers.

China has been actively engaged in implementing scientific and cultural exchanges, fostering science park collaboration, and organizing specialized cooperation in technological domains such as sustainable development, space information, poverty alleviation, as well as innovation and entrepreneurship. These endeavors have significantly bolstered the continuous infusion of innovative drive into the high-quality advancement of the BRI, he said.

He stressed that China will adhere to the international scientific and technological cooperation concept of openness, inclusiveness, mutual benefit and sharing. The country is dedicated to building a science, technology and innovation community with other BRI countries, letting technology and innovation better empower social and economic development of countries involved, he added.

"We recognize that in the face of global challenges such as climate change, public health, environmental protection, energy security, food security, and poverty, the only way forward is for countries to work together," said the Chengdu Declaration on Jointly Building the Belt and Road Science, Technology and Innovation Community, which was introduced at the meeting.

"We are willing to, based on the experience and needs of various countries in driving sustainable socioeconomic development with innovation, strengthen science, technology and innovation policy communication, share development experience and best practices, and jointly implement the Belt and Road Special Cooperation Program for Sustainable Development Technology," the declaration said.

"We are willing to support research institutions, universities, companies and think tanks from various countries in establishing cooperation networks and mechanisms for deep integration of industry, academia and research, and strengthening joint research and development, and technology diffusion in important sci-tech fields, as a way to jointly address global challenges through STI and advance the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," it added.

See the full text of the declaration at https://en.most.gov.cn/pressroom/202506/t20250612_193812.htm.