Science pact seen as key to China-US ties

Agreement should be renewed to boost mutual confidence, experts say

If the China-United States Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement is not renewed, the mutual confidence that sustains and underpins bilateral relations is bound to suffer, experts said.

"I think the scientific community in both countries want this agreement," said Denis Simon, a distinguished fellow at the Washington-based Institute for China-America Studies, during a panel discussion on the pact hosted by the institute on Feb 20.

According to Simon, the agreement gives people confidence in China-US ties.

"I think the relationship of collaboration would suffer if we don't have this (agreement), because it would be seen as an overt act of not having the endorsement of both countries. And that would not bode well for the future of collaboration," he said during the panel discussion titled "Renewing the US-China Science and Technology Agreement. Can S&T Cooperation Coexist with Technology Decoupling?".

On Jan 31, 1979, then vice-premier Deng Xiaoping and then US president Jimmy Carter co-signed the landmark agreement in Washington during Deng's historic US visit. It is a framework for collaboration between the two countries in areas such as agriculture, energy, space, health, environment, earth sciences and engineering, as well as for educational and scholarly exchanges.

The agreement has been on a five-year renewal cycle since its start and was last renewed in 2018.It was extended by six months in August as officials from both countries engaged in talks to amend and strengthen its provisions.

The agreement was required to be renewed or extended again on Feb 27, but it wasn't. The US State Department said it is negotiating to "amend, extend and strengthen protection within" the agreement, but is "not able to provide information at this time on specific US negotiating positions or on whether the agreement will be extended past its current expiration date".

Sourabh Gupta, head of the trade and technology program at the Institute for China-America Studies, told China Daily that he is not feeling pessimistic despite the lack of an official update on the status of the agreement.

"The (China-US) relationship is in a better place and, hence, there might be no pressing need to formally announce the renewal. The decision on this front has almost certainly been communicated privately to the Chinese side. Besides, if the agreement were to be canceled, that would have been publicly announced," he said.

According to Gupta, the agreement has probably been extended by another six months while negotiations between the two sides continue to amend and strengthen its provisions. "And this might not be the final six-month extension," he said.

Speaking during the panel discussion, Caroline Wagner, a professor at the John Glenn School of Public Affairs at Ohio State University, said she hopes the two countries arrive at a consensus to renew the agreement.

"I know there are different views within the United States. The Congress has spoken up actively with concerns. I think we can deal with those concerns. I do believe the relationship is important, and is important for both countries at this time," she said. "The more we can come to an agreement that allows people to continue working together … the better."

Wagner said US-China collaboration in science and technology started because of a diplomatic agreement. "Since that agreement was signed, I think we've seen …huge numbers of people working together."

There is a good relationship between US and Chinese scientists, she said, emphasizing that scientists are more interested in creating knowledge and advancing the frontiers of knowledge, and don't pay much attention to which way the political wind is blowing.

However, they still have to rely on government funding, and that is why the cooperation agreement is important, Wagner said, adding that she believes the relationship between US and Chinese scientists will continue despite political decisions.

Simon, from the Institute for China-America Studies, said the six-month extension in August was meant to allow both sides enough time to negotiate the terms of the agreement. "So they could incorporate a bunch of new factors that needed to be taken into account, if there was to be any meaningful future science and technology cooperation."

Following some positive moves in November 2009, there was heightened US-China science and technology cooperation. The two countries signed new pacts under the framework of the sci-tech agreement for joint projects in electric vehicles and renewable energy, and for the creation of the US-China Clean Energy Research Center, a 10-year research effort between the US Energy Department and China's Ministry of Science and Technology.

Simon said the two sides negotiated a supplementary agreement focused on who would own intellectual property from the collaborative research, including "what was the disposition of it, and who could claim, quote, unquote ownership of it".

"By working that all out beforehand, they saved a lot of concerns and worries that somehow somebody was going to take advantage of the other side," he said.

Simon said that issues for negotiation might include personal safety and security, data, topics on reciprocity, transparency, equal access and intellectual property rights, discussions on good intentions, and dispute resolution.

The dramatic changes in Chinese sci-tech capabilities and the involvement of internal domestic consultations are the two key factors that make the negotiations complicated, he said.

Simon spoke highly of the various measures China has taken in recent years to optimize its research system and increase its research investment. He also suggested that China should overcome or move faster on "bottlenecks "such as the geographic distribution of talent, a shift away from the seniority system, and the international engagement of talent to allow the system to reach a higher level.

"There is some opposition to having a new science and technology agreement, especially from certain segments of the US Congress," he said. "But the fact remains that both countries, both governments least seemingly started the negotiations in good faith, with the hope that some kind of new arrangement could be worked out."

The absence of an agreement means that science and technology cooperation between the two countries does not have the official blessings of Beijing and Washington, he said. "I think blessings from the two governments are very important in boosting confidence," he added.

yifanxu@chinadailyusa.com