On October 8, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) held the 2026 Annual Cooperation Consultation Meeting in Beijing. The meeting thoroughly studied and implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on scientific and technological innovation, carried out the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, reviewed the progress of bilateral cooperation since the 14th Five-Year Plan period, defined key tasks for the 15th Five-Year Plan period, and strived to upgrade and deepen bilateral cooperation.

Hou Jianguo, President and Party Secretary of CAS, and Cheng Fubo, Party Secretary and Director of SASAC, attended the meeting and delivered speeches. Tan Zuojun, Member of the Party Committee and Deputy Director of SASAC, and Wang Keqiang, Vice President and Member of the Party Leadership Group of CAS, reported on relevant work respectively. Li Zhen, Member of the Party Committee and Deputy Director of SASAC, presided over the meeting. Ding Chibiao, Vice President and Member of the Party Leadership Group of CAS, and Wen Ya, Deputy Secretary-General of CAS, were also present.

Hou Jianguo briefly reviewed the achievements of bilateral cooperation in recent years and expressed gratitude to SASAC and central SOEs for their long-term care and support for CAS. He pointed out that since 2023, both sides have held annual cooperation consultations, continuously expanded cooperation scope, deepened cooperation models and yielded fruitful outcomes. A large number of major scientific and technological achievements have been translated into practical applications, providing solid support for safeguarding the security of industrial and supply chains and accelerating the development of new-quality productive forces.

He stressed that the 15th Five-Year Plan period marks a critical phase for building China into a country strong in science and technology. He hoped both sides would further deepen and expand strategic cooperation under the 15th Five-Year Plan framework. First, the two parties shall jointly advance forward-looking research planning targeting 2035 and beyond, provide continuous support for priority tasks and carry out collaborative research on major projects. Efforts will be made to connect the full innovation chain covering basic research, applied development, achievement transformation and industrialization, so as to enhance systematic capacity for scientific and technological breakthroughs. Second, both sides shall boost all-factor open collaboration. Relying on major science and technology initiatives and large-scale demonstration projects, the two sides will strengthen two-way talent exchange and co-build innovation platforms. By promoting the spirit of scientists and entrepreneurs, the two sides will foster a strong collaborative innovation workforce, facilitate efficient flow and rational allocation of high-quality innovation resources, and build a mutually-reinforcing innovation ecosystem. Third, joint research will be conducted on industrial artificial intelligence systems tailored for industrial innovation needs. A number of benchmark AI-empowered demonstration projects will be developed to seize the high ground in AI-driven scientific advancement and industrial upgrading.

Cheng Fubo extended sincere thanks to CAS for its long-term support for scientific and technological innovation work of state-owned central enterprises. He noted that central SOEs and CAS have jointly implemented multiple major projects and secured landmark achievements in recent years. These outcomes have effectively guaranteed the safety and controllability of relevant industrial and supply chains, boosted China’s overall scientific and technological innovation capacity, and laid a solid foundation for further strategic cooperation.

He called for deeper strategic cooperation between central SOEs and CAS. To this end, the two sides should advance key research tasks, align strategic plans closely and jointly fulfill national mandates. Organized research and systematic joint efforts will be prioritized to make breakthroughs in more core technologies and underpin high-level self-reliance in science and technology. Second, greater momentum should be given to the transformation and application of scientific outputs. Efficient matching and accelerated roll-out of research outcomes will be promoted through industry-university-research collaboration, realizing seamless links among demand-side stakeholders, R&D institutions, pilot-test entities and end-users. This will further integrate scientific and industrial innovation and turn more research results into real productive forces. Third, concerted efforts shall be made to cultivate talent teams. Strategic scientists will play their leading role. Central SOEs will offer more robust research support for academicians, leverage educational resources from research institutes, improve the quality of joint training, and build up national strategic talent pools. Fourth, an enabling innovation environment will be jointly fostered. Both sides will coordinate on optimizing research incentive mechanisms, organizing scientific exchanges and nurturing a sound research ecosystem. This will allow science and technology professionals to devote themselves wholeheartedly to research and fully unlock their innovation potential.

Prior to the meeting, participants visited China Mobile Information Port, where they viewed the latest progress and outcomes of 6G technology verification by central SOEs, as well as an exhibition showcasing cooperation cases between central SOEs and CAS from the 14th Five-Year Plan period. Representatives from the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology under CAS, Sinopec, State Power Investment Corporation and other institutions delivered speeches at the meeting.

The resource sharing and matching initiative between CAS’s science and technology achievement transformation platform and the Industrial Consortium for Commercialization of Scientific and Technological Achievements of Central SOEs was officially launched at the event. CAS signed strategic cooperation agreements with AVIC, China Southern Power Grid, China Energy Investment Corporation and COMAC respectively. A batch of key project cooperation agreements were also concluded between CAS-affiliated research institutes and selected central SOEs.

Leaders from relevant central SOEs, functional departments and institutes under CAS, as well as relevant departments of SASAC attended the meeting.