The UK Research Councils are funded by the UK Government to support the best research projects and the best postgraduate training. Their annual budgets now reach ￡3 billion.

Deputy Director Grace Lang said the RCUK China office is their first overseas office outside Europe, highlighting the importance the Research Councils attach to China's rapid rise in world science.

"As the first bureau outside Europe, our RCUK office signals the UK's growing regard for Chinese science, and our commitment to cooperation," she told China.org.cn.

Since its formal opening on 30 October 2007, the RCUK China Office has worked tirelessly to develop good working relations with China's research support agencies, research academies, universities and researchers. It has also funded and supported various activities to strengthen the ability of the two countries to undertake joint research.

The Office will also support about ten UK-China scientific workshops each year. These should lead to ideas for joint research which can be submitted to the seven UK Research Councils and to China's funding agencies.

Lang said: “In 2008, twelve workshops are planned, covering topics from environmental change to clean energy, sustainable development, social aspects of nanotechnology, earthquake hazards and so on.”

"We're not interested in short-term ad hoc activities that don't lead anywhere. We want to support subjects where both countries have a strong interest, in a way that contributes to long-term collaboration, including jointly-funded research projects," she said.

(China.org.cn/CIIC September 24, 2008)