Chinese and American botanists agree closer cooperation
The two botanical societies want to pool knowledge and research on plants, climate and biodiversity.
The Botanical Society of China and the Botanical Society of America have signed a joint initiative for greater cooperation. The agreement was concluded during a conference in Tai’an, but for now mainly contains intentions rather than a developed research programme.
The agreement was reached during the Sino-American Conference on New Horizons in Plant Science, held from 19 to 23 September in Tai’an, in China’s Shandong province. The South China Morning Post returned to the agreement on 3 October.
The Chinese botanical society writes that more than seventy experts from both countries attended the gathering. SCMP refers to hundreds of experts from institutions in China and the United States. The public sources therefore use different descriptions of the event’s size; a definitive number of participants has not been established.
The organisers cite conservation, plant biotechnology, climate change and a possible international mega-project as subjects for further exchange. They also want to strengthen cooperation between disciplines and support the exchange of data, methods and young researchers.
The initiative is not a research result, and no peer-reviewed publication is attached to it. The societies involved present plant science as relevant to food security, health, biodiversity and the transition to a more sustainable economy. These are policy and research objectives, not effects of this agreement that have already been demonstrated.
The timing is notable because scientific contacts between China and the United States are regularly affected by wider political tensions. The agreement was, however, concluded by scientific societies rather than by the governments of the two countries. The public texts do not show that it is linked to a government agreement or a new funding arrangement.
Its practical significance therefore remains to be seen. The documents consulted contain no concrete research projects, sums, deadlines or agreements on joint publications. The sources do confirm that both societies formally want to deepen their cooperation. For Dutch researchers and companies, the key question is whether that intention later leads to open data, joint research calls or access to laboratories and experimental fields.
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The signing, location, subjects and societies involved have been confirmed by an independent news source and the Chinese botanical society. The text explicitly states that the public sources give different numbers of participants and that concrete implementation is still lacking.
- confirmed The Chinese and American botanical societies have signed a joint initiative. — This is reported by SCMP and by the Chinese Botanical Society itself. source
- confirmed The conference took place from 19 to 23 September in Tai’an. — The official conference page and the Chinese society give this period and location. source
- confirmed Conservation, plant biotechnology and climate change were among the subjects discussed. — SCMP mentions these subjects; the joint statement lists similar objectives. source
- confirmed No concrete research programme or funding amount has yet been made public. — The public initiative and conference texts consulted contain no such detail. source
- confirmed The public sources differ on the number of participants. — The Chinese society refers to more than seventy experts; SCMP describes hundreds of experts. source
Editor's note
It is certain that both botanical societies have signed a joint initiative and which themes they mention. The precise size of the gathering remains uncertain, and there is still no evidence that the initiative has produced concrete research results or funding; this is a cooperation statement, not a peer-reviewed study.Sources
- US, China botanists sign landmark proposal on cooperation, global issues and projects — South China Morning Post
- 中-美植物学会签订泰山战略协议 — 中国植物学会
- 中-美植物学会联合发布泰山倡议 — 中国植物学会
More on this in Dutch media
- Het Parool — „plantwetenschap china”
- Trouw — „plantwetenschap china”
- NRC — „plantwetenschap china”