History - In 1979, the U.S.-China Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement was the first agreement signed by the U.S. with China by President Jimmy Carter and Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping. The Agreement continues to serve as a cornerstone for the bilateral relationship. Since its signing, the Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement has facilitated an era of robust government-to-government research and exchange programs in areas of mutual interest including agriculture, energy, health, environment, earth sciences, marine research, and nuclear safety to improve the quality of life for the people of both countries.
The Agreement provides a framework under which 16 or more U.S. science and technology-based entities and nearly the same number of Chinese government counterparts can actively engage in collaborative research and development. Currently, there are more than 30 agency-to- agency ongoing, joint-project collaborations. For the 21st century, U.S.-China joint science and technology cooperation priorities will include clean energy and climate change, food security and agriculture, public health, and general cooperation seeking innovative science and technology-based solutions to global challenges.
Source: U.S. Department of State