Protocol agreement on technology-based economic relations between...

Protocol agreement on technology-based economic relations between China and U.S. was signed by Commerce Secy. Donald Evans and Chinese Minister of Science & Technology Xu Guanhua. Evans said agreement would support China’s efforts to create business- friendly environment for technology development by encouraging global partnerships and private investment. Dept. of Commerce’s (DoC) Office of International Technology Acting Dir. Kathryn Sullivan said agreement followed previous agreement of 1997, which focused on policy dialogue between U.S. and China on technology innovations. She said new “evolutionary” agreement, called Protocol on Cooperation in Civilian Industrial Technology & Scientific & Technical Information Policy, was supposed to improve sharing of ideas between countries on how govt. could create business environment to support technology innovation. It would also improve policy dialogue across business, academia and govt., she said. Evans said it was important for govt. to encourage exchange of information between private sector and policy makers: “While we in government work to create an environment that is conducive to technology innovation, it is the private sector that is the driver of technology.” Sullivan said DoC expected to meet with Chinese officials at working level within next month to discuss next steps.