Liu Wei: Speech at the 2020 China-Egypt Science and Technology Cooperation Forum

Liu Wei, President, Renmin University of China

Nov. 28, 2020

Honorable President Mahmoud El-Meteini,

Honorable Ambassador Hua Liming,

Distinguished scholars and experts,

Good afternoon!

Today I am very pleased to attend together with my dear colleagues of Ain Shams University the 2020 China-Egypt Science and Technology Cooperation Forum, which is jointly organized by National Academy of Development and Strategy, RUC and "Belt and Road" Cooperation Research Center, RUC & Ain Shams University. First please allow me on behalf of RUC to express my best congratulations on the forum. I shall also extend my warmest welcome to all the distinguished guests and my sincerest gratitude to all the scholars and experts for your valuable care and support to both RUC and the research center!

Both China and Egypt are great ancient civilizations of a history of thousands of years, and have forged an enduring friendship dating back to antiquity. We have long been closely connected by the ancient Silk Road with Chang'an (now Xi'an) in the east and Alexandria in the west. Egypt was the first Arab and African country to establish the diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. After both countries raised the ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership, Egypt officially joined the Belt and Road Initiative of China. The partnership plays an important exemplary and leading role in promoting people-to-people exchanges, science and technology cooperation, and China's friendly partnership with the African countries and Arab countries. In particular, since the outbreak of COVID-19, China and Egypt have closely cooperated on epidemic prevention and control, vaccine research and development, work resumption, etc. to write a new chapter of international solidarity and cooperation for the fight against the pandemic.

Renmin University of China and Ain Shams University are both famous universities with extensive academic and social influence in our respective countries. In July 2018, the two universities signed a memorandum of understanding on inter-university cooperation that officially started exchange and cooperation in a comprehensive manner. In November 2018, both sides jointly established the first "Belt and Road" cooperation research center in Middle East and Africa region, and the former president Abdel Wahab Ezzat personally attended the unveiling ceremony of the research center in RUC. In January 2019, I led my delegation to visit Egypt and was glad to attend the founding ceremony of the research center in Ain Shams University. Over the past more than a year, the research center relied on the academic strengths of both universities and made great efforts on organizing academic exchanges, holding high-end summits and establishing research fund. It not only creates the new mutually beneficiary and win-win situation in academic collaboration, scholar visits, and publications, but also contributes to the coordinated development of economy, culture, scientific research, etc. of our two countries, tapping the potential of more opportunities for the Belt and Road Initiative in Egypt and the whole African continent.

Nowadays, with the deepening economic globalization and social informatization, the dramatic sci-tech progress and industrial transition represented by the innovation of new-generation information technology are constantly changing the traditional economy patterns and creating new business patterns and industrial models. Sci-tech information has turned out to be a key variable of reshaping the world pattern and the future of mankind. The recent fifth plenary session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) developed the strategies of the 14th Five-year Plan and clarified the grand blueprint of China's socioeconomic development in the near future. The session also stressed that sci-tech innovation should serve as the prime mover and its central role in the overall construction of modernization in China should be maintained. In the post-COVID era, therefore, China and Egypt should further strengthen science and technology cooperation, promote innovative sci-tech exchanges and achieve green development through sharing of education resources. Cultivation of scientific innovation spirit and improvement of scientific and cultural quality of all people by science education will help China and Egypt to hold the steer wheel and seize the opportunity to form a new pattern of mutual complementarity and win-win effect in the future, thus laying a solid foundation for faster economic growth and better people livelihood in both countries.

Today, the Chinese and Egyptian scholars and experts gather online, concentrate on the two topics of "2020 China-Egypt Science and Technology Cooperation Forum: Incubators, Mechanisms, Standards" and "China-Egypt Actions in the Post COVID-19 Era: Boosting Industrial Cooperation for Green Development", and discuss sci-tech cooperation and innovation. I am convinced that the event will enhance consensus, form joint force and contribute our wisdom and strength to the development of world science and technology and the progress of human civilization. I sincerely hope that all the scholars and experts share your valuable views and experience in the in-depth and productive discussions, and I also hope that our two universities grasp this opportunity to further deepen cultural exchanges and academic cooperation, focus on fundamental research and major strategic demand of national development, jointly offer advice and proposals to both governments, and inject new dynamism to China-Egypt relations.

Last but not least, I wish a big success of the forum! Thank you very much!