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China, the world's best-known herbal medicine producer, plans to pool global resources to accelerate the modernization of traditional medicines, according to officials.

Jin Xiaoming, a high-ranking official with the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), said recently it would be the first international research program initiated by the country.

Jin, director of the Department of International Cooperation, said an earlier survey showed an unexpectedly enthusiastic response worldwide to the initiative.

"The US National Institutes of Health has intimated a definite intention of participation," the official said.

In addition, a number of European countries including Denmark and Italy, and most of the Asian countries, have all expressed their strong interest in it, Jin said.

It is likely to be launched between May and July, and aims to better utilize traditional medicines to solve global public health problems.

It will involve a wide range of research subjects, including working out an international standard for traditional Chinese medicine and developing new treatments for AIDS and cancer.

The project marks a significant watershed for China's "diplomacy for science" initiative, after President Hu Jintao's call earlier this year for enhancing indigenous innovative capability and building an innovation-oriented country.

"China has always been active in joining in various international major science projects, but has never put forward one of its own initiatives. Traditional medicines will be our first breakthrough point," Jin said.

Strategic changes

The official said the country would start a range of schemes in 2006, all related to the new strategy in strengthening indigenous innovation through international collaboration.

It aims to make China a more frequent organizer of major international science projects, instead of only taking part in them.

"As long as we know ourselves and our counterparts, we can better deal with the situation," said Jin.

Another strategic change is to promote more involvement of companies in international programs. China Galileo Industries' participation in the Galileo Program of the European Union (EU) is a latest example, he said.

Ministry statistics reveal China has established scientific partnerships with 152 countries and regions, signed governmental agreements on scientific and technological collaboration with 96 countries, and joined more than 1,000 international research co-operation organizations.

The United States and EU are two major partners of China, both of which are expected to witness further collaboration with the country in this year, Jin said.

"China and the United States have seen a robust partnership in clean and environmentally-friendly energy development in recent years, which will surely continue in the future," he said.

The two countries will extend for a further five years the China-US scientific and technological co-operation agreement during President Hu Jintao's coming visit to the US.

They are also expected to agree a pact on human health sciences.

Along with deepening Sino-US scientific union, China's partnership with the EU is ushering in a new era of expansion as a Sino-EU year of science and technology begins this year.

Apart from holding various forums and exhibitions, the two sides will co-establish some research and development bases, and technological incubators this year.

Energy, environment, climate change and information technology will become the future priority areas of the bilateral cooperation between the two sides, Jin said.

(China Daily March 24, 2006)