BEIJING, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- China on Sunday issued a five-year program (2006-2010) on international cooperation of science and technology, promising to open wider to foreign partners.
The program said except those concerning national security or with special requests, China's key national scientific and technological projects and funds will be open to overseas partners.
Scientific institutions, universities and key national laboratories are required to expand cooperation and exchanges with foreign counterparts, according to the program.
China will also encourage and help enterprises and research institutions to set up overseas research and development agencies for further development by "using international scientific and technology resources", the program says.
Meanwhile, China will "actively" participate in key international scientific projects, join international scientific organizations and encourage Chinese scientists to work in international organizations, the program says.
It says the moves are aimed at increasing China's possession of or its reasonable share of intellectual property rights internationally and improving its status on the world science arena.
China also hopes to bolster its high-tech industry and boost export of its high-tech products through such cooperation.
The program listed a number of areas as priorities for cooperation, including clean energy development, environmental protection, HIV/AIDS treatment, responses to newly occurred infectious diseases and chronic diseases, nanoscience and aeronautic and astronautic technology.