Zhang Jing’an, academician of International Eurasian Academy of Science and director general of China Association of High Tech Zones, delivers a speech at the conference on the Silk Road Economic Belt, a sub-forum of the VII Astana Economic Forum which took place on May 21, 2014. (People’s Daily Online/ Yao Chun)

ASTANA, March 22 (People’s Daily Online) -- “China and Kazakhstan are good neighbors. And we have a long history in scientific cooperation. Our both countries can give full play of our scientific advantages and take the initiative to further promote our scientific cooperation in the development of the Silk Road Economic Belt,” said Zhang Jing’an, academician of International Eurasian Academy of Science and director general of China Association of High Tech Zones.

Chinese President Xi Jinping made the proposal of building the Silk Road Economic Belt when delivering a speech at Nazarbayev University during his visit to Kazakhstan in September 2013. “The Silk Road Economic Belt creates a new model of cooperation with the purpose of enhancing the economic link, deepening the collaboration and expanding the development space to achieve mutual benefit and win-win result,” said Zhang at the conference on the Silk Road Economic Belt, a sub-forum of the VII Astana Economic Forum which took place on May 21, 2014.

“To build the Silk Road Economic Belt, we are in urgent need of developing green, recyclable and low-carbon economy, attaching great importance to the environmental protection, harnessing desertification, promoting the rational exploitation of land and water resources as well as developing new and renewable energy resources,” said he.

China has a bright future in developing scientific cooperation with Kazakhstan. Zhang said: “Cooperation in various areas are available for us, such as the construction of cities along the Silk Road, comprehensive evaluation on regional development, ecological restoration, rational use of energy and water resources, the exploitation of solar and wind energy, water saving technology and water desalination, the promotion of low-carbon and recyclable economy, the application of new and renewable energy resources.”

Zhang also suggested the construction of a scientific network for China-Kazakhstan cooperation in building the Silk Road Economic Belt. “We can set up several international cooperation centers to realize the smooth information exchange and sharing,” he said.

“China is also preparing to develop a scientific center to promote the building of the Silk Road Economic Belt. Academicians of International Eurasian Academy of Science will spare no efforts to promote China-Kazakhstan scientific cooperation,” he concluded.