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From January 21 to January 24, 2019, Prof. Chen Xiaoqing, Deputy Director of the Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment (IMHE), Prof. Ge Yonggang, Deputy Director of Science & Technology and Cooperation Division of IMHE, Prof. Su Lijun, Deputy Director of Key Laboratory of Mountain Hazards and Earth Surface Process of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and other personnel constituted a delegation to Islamabad to promote the construction of China-Pakistan Joint Research Center on Earth Sciences (CPJRC). General Muhammad Asghar, Executive Director of the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, and Director Safdar Ali Shah (Dr.) and Assistant Director Saima I. Asghar of CPEC Office of the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, attended the meeting. Prof. Jia Wei, the First Secretary of Science and Technology of Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, participated in the talks and discussions as well.

Prof. Muhammad Asghar firstly extended a warm welcome to Prof. Chen Xiaoqing and his delegation, and introduced Pakistan's work progress, planning and design, recent work priorities and other information to the Chinese delegation. He emphasized that since CPJRC is an important starting point for the Pakistani government to promote the development of science and education, the Pakistani side had strictly followed the joint construction agreement between the Higher Education Commission and CAS, so as to establish a new international academic platform with influence under the support of the two countries and provide a successful model for the construction of Pakistan's research centers in the future. He also made it clear that the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan would make overall use of the opportunity of the government's planning to establish Islamabad National University to accelerate the planning, design and construction of CPJRC.

Prof. Chen Xiaoqing introduced China's work progress and key works recently in terms of construction planning, cooperation mode, and resource allocation, and conducted in-depth discussions on relevant laws and regulations, CPJRC's operating mechanism and work priorities of the year. He said that China and Pakistan have their own characteristics and advantages on the research of earth sciences and hoped that through the joint construction of CPJRC, the two countries could explore the mode of transnational science and education cooperation, comprehensively improve the level of science and education cooperation, provide support for the construction of the "Belt and Road" and the implementation of major national strategies, and promote coordinated and win-win development of science and education. The two sides have agreed to jointly promote the compilation of CPJRC's charter, the planning of the park, and the establishment of the Council and the Science and Technology Committee in the near future, so as to speed up the construction of the CPJRC.

During the visit to Pakistan, the delegation also held several discussions with the Economic and Commercial Counsellor's Office of Chinese Embassy in Pakistan and the head of science and technology to learn about international science and technology cooperation, preparation for the establishment of international organizations and other relevant details and issues of concern, so as to lay a solid foundation for the construction in later period.

The delegation also investigated and surveyed some Chinese-funded enterprises in Pakistan, such as China Road and Bridge Corporation, PowerChina and Huawei to learn about the technological needs of the enterprises, China-Pakistan cooperation model and relevant experience on organization and preparation. The enterprises gave high approval to the strategic significance of CPJRC, unanimously expected that CPJRC could seize the opportunity of the "Belt and Road" construction, and hoped to carry out comprehensive cooperation with CPJRC in scientific research, engineering construction and talent training.

On November 3, 2018, under the joint witness of Premier Li Keqiang of the State Council and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan entered into a cooperation agreement on the joint construction of the "China-Pakistan Joint Research Center on Earth Sciences". CPJRC will be established into a national platform for scientific and technological cooperation and integration of science and education between the two countries, so as to reinforce and promote China-Pakistan science and education cooperation and provide support for the national strategy of all-weather cooperation between China and Pakistan.

Meeting with representatives of the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan to promote the construction of CPJRC

Visits and investigations to promote the construction of CPJRC