The ceremony of the Secretariat of Alliance of International Science Organizations kicks off in Beijing on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019 (Photos: ANSO)

The ceremony of the Secretariat of Alliance of International Science Organizations (ANSO) in Huairou Science City (HSC) was held in Beijing on Thursday, where the participants reached a consensus on the interaction between ANSO and HSC to serve the building of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Bai Chunli, President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Liu Yinchun, Deputy Secretary-General of the Beijing Municipal Government, attended the ceremony and delivered speeches. Dai Binbin, Secretary of Huairou District Communist Party Committee, and Secretary of Communist Party Work Committee of Huairou Science City, presided over the ceremony.

Co-sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, the opening ceremony was co-organized by ANSO, the People’s Government of Huairou District and the Administrative Committee of Huairou Science City.

The important decision to settle the ANSO Secretariat in HSC on its first anniversary was made under the care and support of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. The aim is to vigorously promote the building of ANSO, to inject new impetus into the internationalization and new development of HSC, and is of great significance for HSC to build its international academic environment and enhance its international influence.

On November 4, 2018, ANSO was formally established in Beijing. It is the first comprehensive and substantive international scientific and technological organization founded by the national academies of sciences, national scientific research institutions, universities and international organizations of the countries and regions along the Belt and Road under the framework of the BRI.

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the establishment of the alliance, in which Xi pointed out, “Scientific and technological cooperation with relevant countries is an important part of the joint construction of the BRI, which plays an active role in improving people’s livelihood, promoting development and addressing common challenges.”

He also suggested that scientific communities all over the world join hands and work together to give full play to the platform role of the alliance, strengthening the connection between technological innovation policies and development strategies, carrying out major scientific and technological cooperation, and cultivating innovative and entrepreneurial talent, to enhance scientific and technological innovation capabilities. Building a road of environmental protection and a road of innovation will contribute greatly to promoting people-to-people connectivity and sustainable economic and social development, building the Belt and Road into a road of green development, and a road of innovation, and building a community with a shared future for mankind.

In the past year, ANSO has made great achievements, with its philosophy constantly gaining popularity, and its scale continuously expanding. It has also made great progress in its internationalization, with its influence increasingly enhanced, constantly demonstrating its vigorous vitality and great potential.