Pact shows importance of Sino-US cooperation

The signing of a protocol by China and the United States recently to amend and extend the US-China Science and Technology Agreement is a crucial development given the fraught geopolitical relationship between the world's two largest economies. As tensions between the US and China continue to rise on various fronts, including trade and security, the signing of the agreement is a rare example of continued cooperation between the two sides.

The signing was a symbolic gesture but an acknowledgment of the importance of mutual collaboration, especially when it comes to addressing shared global challenges such as climate change and public health.

The imminent extension of the STA shows that despite the rising tensions, both countries recognize the need for scientific collaboration. Originally signed in 1979 by former US president Jimmy Carter and former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, the agreement coincided with the resumption of academic exchanges between the two countries. Following the signing of a 1978 memorandum of understanding on student and scholar exchanges — the first official agreement between the two governments — 52 Chinese students departed from Beijing to the US, with American students arriving in China two months later.