1020 



Academy of Sciences/*^ which is under the jurisdiction of the Associ- 

 ation. Similarly, it appears as if the Association also encompasses 

 under its jurisdiction other significant R&D activities, which are 

 carried out in China under close links among scientists, industrialists, 

 workers, and political cadres.*^^ 



For the United States, at least, the establishment of initial scientific 

 and technical exchange activities between the United States and the 

 People's Republic of China is probably more significant in a diplo- 

 matic than in a scientific sense. Some American scientific and tech- 

 nical personnel who have visited China report that thus far the 

 exchange activities constitute little more than "scientific tourism." 

 It seems that several additional steps will be necessary before such 

 exchanges become fruitful in a scientific sense to the American sci- 

 entific and technical community and before such exchanges become 

 formalized on a continuing, officially funded Government-to-Govem- 

 ment basis. Prerequisites of this nature, on the American side, probably 

 include diplomatic recognition of and establishment of regular relations 

 with the People's Republic of China. Other prerequisites, which were 

 discussed at the August 1973 meeting of the International Committee 

 of the Federal Council for Science and Technology, are better under- 

 standing by Americans of how they can profit from scientific and 

 technical communication with their Chinese colleagues, and develop- 

 ment by Americans — especially Federal agency personnel — of priori- 

 ties for exchange. In this connection it may be useful for the CSCPRC 

 and the Academy to undertake informal surveys of the state of science 

 and technology in China, as the Academ}'^ did in the Soviet and 

 Eastern European exchange agreements. It may be useful also for the 

 Government to undertake systematic efforts to familiarize American 

 scientific and technical personnel with available translated Chinese 

 scientific and technical materials, and to increase support of transla- 

 tion activities where warranted. Also, more attention may have to 

 be given to familiarizing American scientists with the Chinese culture 

 and language. 



"' "Chinese Science: What the China Watchers Watch," Science (August 13. 1971), p. 615: "The [Chinese] 

 Academy [of Sciences] is the most important single center for scientific research and development. It is 

 divided into five departments that oversee more than 100 research institutes, each specializing in a different 

 discipline. In addition, there are regional branch institutes. Research, particularly, the production-oriented 

 type . . . that now predominates in China, is probably still carried out by numerous educational and 

 iadustrial institutions . . . and also by the Academy of Medical Sciences, the Academy of Agricultural 

 Sciences, and the Military Science Academy." 



<" Anthony Wedgwood Benn, "China— Land of Struggle, Criticism, and Transformation," New Scientist 

 (January 6, 1972), pp. 10-12, and Walter Sullivan, "Peking Aiming Research At China's Special Needs," 

 New York Times (June 7, 1971), pp. 1, 14. 



