The Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology today signed an agreement on scientific and technological cooperation with the Canadian International Development Research Center.

Under the agreement, the Canadian center will continue to provide financial and technological support to a number of China's research programs, symposiums, information networks, as a way of spreading scientific discoveries concerning social and economic developments.

Chinese Minister of Science and Technology Zhu Lilan said at November 8's signing ceremony that the scientific cooperation between her ministry and the Canadian center has been quite effective in the past 18 years.

She said that in addition to the bilateral scientific cooperation, China is considering taking part in international research programs concerning global climate changes and the security of genetically modified food, as they are problems that cannot be solved by one or two countries alone.

The minister said that China, as a developing country, should learn from the experience of other developed countries and strengthen its own technological innovation capability.

The International Development Research Center is a public organ established by the Canadian legislature to help developing countries find solutions to social and economic problems through research.

During the past 18 years, the Canadian center has funded over 150 research programs in China with a total of 25 million Canadian dollars.

The research programs cover agriculture, forestry, public health, environment, resources, information and other social and economic sectors. (Xinhua)