The year 2001 witnessed the continued development of the China-US exchanges and cooperation in the fields of science and technology, culture, education and environmental protection. 

On March 28, the China Seismological Bureau, the National Natural Science Foundation of the People's Republic of China, the US Geological Survey of the Department of the Interior of the USA and the US National Science Foundation extended in Washington Protocol between the China Seismological Bureau and the National Natural Science Foundation of the People's Republic of China and the National Science Foundation and the US geological Survey of the Department of the Interior of the United States of America for Scientific and Technical Cooperation in Earthquake Studies.

From April 13 to 25, Lü Fuyuan, vice minister of education, was invited to visit the United States to observe the education of the information technology and biological engineering in universities, the trend of that education and the application of the scientific and technological achievements.

On April 25, Yang Jiechi, Chinese ambassador to the United States, exchanged letters with Kenneth C. Brill, acting assistant secretary of state, to extend Agreement between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the United States of America on Cooperation in Science and Technology. 

On May 7, President Jiang Zemin met with visiting guest, Richard Levin, president of Yale University. 

On November 29, State Forestry Administration exchanged letters with the US Department of the Interior to extend to November 2006 Protocol on Cooperation and Exchanges in the Field of Conservation of Nature between the Department of the Interior of the United States of America and the Ministry of Forestry of the People's Republic of China

In the year of 2001, the mutual visits between China and the Untied States were up to 170, involving 3,542 people. The visits from the US side were 65 and the number of the visitors was 2,031. The visits from the China side were 105 and the number of the visitors was 1,511.

In the year of 2002, the China-US exchanges and cooperation in the fields of science and technology, environmental protection, education, culture and health continued to grow.

In April, the tenth China-US Joint Commission Meeting on Science and Technology was held in Beijing. Xu Guanhua, minister of science and technology, and Marburger, assistant to the president for science and technology and director of office of science and technology policy of the White House, jointly hosted the meeting. After the meeting, President Jiang Zemin met with the US delegation. At the same month, Xie Zhenghua, minister of State Environmental Protection Administration, met with the visiting guests. They exchanged views on the Summit of Sustainable Development of the World, climate changes and the cooperation in the field of environmental protection. Also in this month, Zhang Wenkang, vice minister of health met with Paula J. Dobriansky, under secretary of state of the United States, to discuss the cooperation between China and the United States in the field of ADIS prevention and cure and Taiwan issue in World Health Organization. In this month, Wang Longde, vice minister of health, headed a delegation to the United States to observe the management of the US health service organizations and medical resources.

In May, Wang Zhijia, director general of Department of International Cooperation of the State Environmental Protection Administration, together with Mr. Turner, US assistant secretary of state, co-chaired the "China-US Environmental Policy Forum" in Beijing. The two sides exchanged views concerning management of coastal areas, land-based pollution, invasion of alien species, sand storm and land degradation. Also in May, Sclafani, policy advisor to US Minister on Education visited China and discussed with the Chinese Ministry of Education about the operation and implementation of China-US web-based E-Language Project. And also during the same month, Zhang Xinsheng, vice minister of education, held talks with Paige, US education secretary about the above-mentioned E-Language Project. And also, during May, Huang Jiefu, Chinese vice minister of health, led a delegation to US to explore new ways of strengthening exchanges and cooperation in education, scientific and technological research in medical fields.

In June, Chen Zhu, vice minister of Chinese Academy of Science as well as the Chinese person to contact on gene study within China-US Scientific and Technological Framework, visited US and reached initial intent with the US side on swine genome sequencing. Also in June, Zhang Wenkang, Chinese minister of health, led a delegation to US and signed a MOU with his counterpart on cooperation of prevention and cure of AIDS.

In July, Huang Jiefu, vice minister of health, met with Turner, US assistant secretary of state, and the two sides exchanged views on cooperation concerning prevention and cure of AIDS. Also in July, the Chinese Elementary Education Study Group visited US. During that same month, the US "Chinese History and Culture Study Group" visited China.

In August, Liu Yanhua, vice minister of science and technology, visited the US, held further talks and took further measures with US office on scientific and technological policy of the White House on the China-US swine genome sequencing. Also in August, the Torch High-tech Industry Development Center and the administrative council of Zhongguancun Science and Technology Park signed an Agreement on the Establishment of China-US Science and Technology Exploration Center in Mariana University, and the US Commerce Department expressed their congratulations on this.

In September, China and the US held the first specialist group meeting on cooperation in E-Language Project. Zhang Xinsheng, Chinese vice minister of education, and Sclafani, policy advisor to US Education Secretary, co-chaired this meeting and agreed to sign a MOU of this project. In October, Chinese Special Education Delegation visited US.

From January to October, there were altogether 88 cultural exchanges programs between China and the US and 1,202 persons involved. Major Programs included Magician David Copperfield's visit to China, the famous violinist Parman's performance in China, Gansu Provincial Singing and Dancing Delegation's roundtrip performance featuring Chinese Dunhuang arts across US as well as US "After 9.11-- the Snapshots" and etc.

(Chinese Foreign Ministry, November, 2003)