8 February 2012
Beijing, China
The Government of Canada is committed to collaborating with China on science and technology in order to promote innovation and two-way trade and investment. In support of this commitment, Canada and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Sustainable Development of Natural Resources, which aims to advance science and technology collaboration in this area.
The five-year MOU, which was signed on February 8, 2012 , and is effective immediately, is expected to generate new and improved scientific knowledge and technologies, help address a number of environmental issues and enable trade and investment opportunities for both Canadian and Chinese industries.
It will promote cooperation between Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) and the CAS in the areas of clean energy, earth sciences and mineral resources. Collaboration between government, industrial, academic and professional organization representatives will be facilitated under the initiative through collaboration on individual research projects, exchanges of personnel, and the exchange of scientific/technical information and technology.
The MOU supports Canada’s prosperity agenda with China by providing a platform to promote Canadian expertise, technologies and services. The benefit of increased cooperation includes: new technologies for Canadian resource firms; advancing Canada’s research priorities; addressing policy challenges to resource development, such as emissions, reduced environmental impact and natural hazards; and opportunities for Canadian suppliers of equipment and services.
Collaborating with the CAS – China’s national research and development authority – will complement a number of existing government-to-government mechanisms and frameworks, including the Agreement for Scientific and Technological Cooperation, the May 2007 MOU on Cooperation in Earth Sciences, and collaboration between NRCan’s Canada Centre for Remote Sensing and the CAS Institute of Remote Sensing Applications in 1994.
China is Canada’s second largest trading partner and natural resources account for more than half the value of Canadian exports to China.
