The United States and the People’s Republic of China have worked together on science and technology for more than 30 years. Under the Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement of 1979, signed soon after normalization of diplomatic relations, our two countries have cooperated in a diverse range of fields, including basic research in physics and chemistry, earth and atmospheric sciences, a variety of energy-related areas, environmental management, agriculture, fisheries, civil industrial technology, geology, health, and natural disaster planning.

More recently, in the face of emerging global challenges such as energy security and climate change, the United States and China entered into a new phase of mutually beneficial cooperation. In June 2008, the U.S.-China Ten Year Framework for Cooperation on Energy and the Environment was created and today it includes action plans for cooperation on energy efficiency, electricity, transportation, air, water, wetlands, nature reserves and protected areas.

In November 2009, President Barack Obama and President Hu Jintao announced seven new U.S.- China clean energy initiatives during their Beijing summit. In doing so, the leaders of the world’s two largest energy producers and consumers affirmed the importance of the transition to a clean and low-carbon economy—and the vast opportunities for citizens of both countries in that transition.