China plans to create a science cooperation network under the Belt and Road Initiative to strengthen multilateral ties and regional cooperation when it comes to scientific achievements, said the president of China’s top science institute.

Bai Chunli, president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), unveiled the plan at a press conference on May 9, adding that the longer-term goal is to develop the network into an important platform for “a community of shared science and shared innovation.”

Addressing the conference, Bai pointed out that CAS has sped up efforts to promote cooperation in science, which is strategically important under the Belt and Road Initiative, as most countries along the Belt and Road route face the common challenge of balancing socioeconomic development with environmental protection.

In 2016, CAS launched an international cooperation plan offering strategic consultation and personnel training. The plan also aimed to translate research into practical achievements that would benefit the public. A center dedicated to this cause has been set up in Bangkok, Thailand, according to Bai.

There are nine overseas research bases currently in operation, jointly established by CAS and the Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS). A scholarship offered by CAS and TWAS has funded the training of many scholars from developing countries. Since 2013, some 1,800 people have been trained in advanced technology or research management.