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On July 8, the Seminar of Partners of the China-Pakistan Joint Research Center on Earth Sciences (CPJRC) and Promotion Meeting for Preparatory Works was held in Beijing. The meeting had more than 40 participants, including representatives from the Bureau of International Cooperation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) - the department in charge of CPJRC, the Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment (IMHE) - the leading unit, as well as the partners including the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Institution of Geology and Geophysics, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Institute of Earth Environment, Alliance of International Science Organizations (ANSO), Institute of Geophysics of China Earthquake Administration, Xi'an Geological Survey Center of China Geological Survey, National Satellite Meteorological Center of China Meteorological Administration, China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group, the Fifth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, PowerChina, and North Industries Group Finance Company. Prof. Li Yin, Director of the Bureau of International Cooperation of CAS, presided over the meeting.

In his speech, Prof. Li Yin said that as the tenth overseas science and education center established by CAS, CPJRC has a high academic starting point, many partners within and beyond CAS, and substantial investment from cooperative countries, therefore has a good foundation for its development. The innovation of the operation mode of CPJRC will provide a new starting point for overseas scientific and technological platforms. He emphasized that CPJRC must insist on the core concept of "extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits" during its construction, adhere to the basic principle of "demand-pull, interest-driven, and influence-first", be geared to the needs of the economic construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, focus on the frontier scientific and technological development, and give full play to the scientific and technological resources and advantages of the council members and partners within and beyond CAS, so as to provide important scientific and technological support and guarantee for the construction of the "Belt and Road" and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Prof. Cui Peng, Academician of CAS and Director of CPJRC, briefly introduced the basic condition of CPJRC. He said that CPJRC mainly carries out total-factor, full-chain, and thorough-type research by centering on the scientific and technological problems in the fields of earth sciences, resources and environment, disaster prevention and alleviation and sustainable development arising during the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, aiming to establish a national-level platform for scientific and educational cooperation between the countries and construct an excellent international science and technology center and an international science and technology institution with global influence. He pointed out that CPJRC is comprehensively and systematically learning from the successful experience of the first nine overseas centers, sorting out the technological problems arising during the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and the technological needs of the partners, and thoroughly implementing the concept of "extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits", aiming to achieve win-win development and strive to become a national-level overseas technology platform as soon as possible, so as to provide scientific and technological support for building the "Belt and Road" into a road of green development and a road of innovation.

The participants also listened to the reports on CPJRC's construction progress, scientific and research layout, demand for talents and management systems. The representatives and experts at the meeting highly recognized CPJRC's construction policy of "basing upon earth sciences, enhancing scientific research capabilities, supporting people's livelihood and development, promoting talent training, and opening up to the world", and believed that CPJRC's construction is of great significance for promoting the high-quality development of the "Belt and Road" and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, strengthening the scientific and technological cooperation and enhancing the all-weather strategic partnership between the two countries. They also put forward constructive opinions and suggestions on the preliminary plan for the establishment of CPJRC and its technological needs and ways of participating in the construction, and expressed that they would participate in the construction of CPJRC through multiple channels and methods according to their own characteristics, technological advantages and actual needs, so as to establish a national platform and a successful paradigm for scientific and educational cooperation under the "Belt and Road Initiative" together with the supporting units.

CPJRC is a non-profit institution with independent legal person status established in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, and is jointly established with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan taking the lead. On November 2, 2018, the construction plan of CPJRC was approved by the President Meeting of CAS. On November 3, CAS and the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan entered into a memorandum of understanding on joint construction of CPJRC under witness of the Premier of China and the Prime Minister of Pakistan. On February 22, 2019, the first meeting of the Chinese Council of CPJRC was officially held. At present, the construction of CPJRC has entered into the stage of substantive promotion and implementation.

Site of the meeting