Innovation plays important role in China-EU cooperation: Chinese vice premier

Visiting Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong met here with Carlos Moedas, European Union (EU) Commissioner for research, science and innovation on Tuesday, saying that research and innovation is an important field of China-EU cooperation.

China is vigorously implementing the innovation-driven development strategy, putting the technological innovation as the crucial support to the quality and efficiency of China's economic development, which coincides with EU's Horizon 2020, Liu said.

She hoped that China and the EU continue to deepen cooperation in research and innovation, urging to implement the China-EU research and innovation joint funding mechanism, so as to maximize the benefits to the researchers and industries from the two sides.

The EU is willing to work together to implement the mechanism with China to support joint research as well as technological achievements transformation between universities, research institutions and enterprises from the two parties, said Commissioner Moedas.

Liu also called for more exchanges of young scientists, as well as cooperation in technological achievements transformation, personnel training, etc.

Liu arrived in Belgium Monday morning to kick off a multi-day Europe tour. She co-chaired the third meeting of China-EU high-level people-to-people dialogue with Tibor Navracsics, EU Commissioner for education, culture, youth and sport in Brussels on Tuesday.

The first China-EU high-level people-to-people dialogue was held in Brussels in April, 2012, and the second was held in Beijing in April, 2014. Endit