A top Chinese seismologist called for closer cooperation between seismological agencies across the Taiwan Straits on January 16 to help both sides find ways to reduce losses caused by earthquakes.

He Yongnian, director of the Cross-Straits Center for the Exchange of Seismological Science and Technology, said at a press conference in Beijing on January 16 that both China's mainland and Taiwan are located on major seismological belts.

Earthquakes pose a serious threat to life and property on each side of the Taiwan Straits and threaten their economic growth and social progress, said He, who would lead a 12-member delegation to Taiwan on January 17 for a seminar on swapping seismological information between the two sides.

The Cross-Straits Center for the Exchange of Seismological Science and Technology was founded in October of 1998 with the aim of promoting exchanges on seismological science and technology between two sides of the Straits. The center has carried out numerous programs in the past year.

Today, a group of 12 seismologists from the Chinese mainland is leaving to Taiwan for a seminar on the exchange of seismological information and cooperation across the Taiwan Straits.

The seismological departments and experts on the mainland concern themselves very much with the devastating earthquake that rocked Taiwan on September 21 last year. The aim of the current visit by the seismologists from the mainland is to compare notes with their Taiwan colleagues on seismological science and technology and learn from each other's strong points in an effort to further lessen and even avoid the losses to be caused by future possible earthquakes at both sides of the Taiwan Straits to the minimum extent.

Members of the group include Chen Yuntai, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), who is currently president of the board of the Seismology Society of China, Xie Lili, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), and experts on quake analysis and forecast, anti-shock engineering and engineering mechanics.

The seminar will run for two days and participants will go to inspect the site of the recent quake after the seminar.