V. Scientific Exchanges With the People's Republic 



OF China 



Upon completion of President Richard M. Nixon's visit to the 

 People's Republic of China (PRC), in February 1972, the President 

 and Premier Chou En Lai issued a communique which included a 

 general agreement to facilitate the development of scientific, technical, 

 and cultural exchange and communication. This action has evoked 

 widespread hope that the two countries would begin regular exchanges 

 of scientific and technical personnel.*^^ Dr. Edward David, Jr., then 

 the President's science adviser, was reported to have "welcomed the 

 agreement as 'an important step,' " because, he said, "scientific, 

 technological, and cultural exchanges can be important in creating 

 understanding." ^^'^ 



During the year and a half since the President's visit, small Chinese 

 and American scientific and technical delegations have been exchanged. 

 And recently, the Chinese Scientific and Technical Association and a 

 nongovernmental American group concluded an agreement for 

 additional exchanges. 



Despite these precedent-breaking steps, much doubt remains as to 

 the possible initiation of a large, regular. Government-sponsored 

 movement of scientists between the United States and the PRC. 

 Similar to the history of early exchange activities with the Soviet 

 Union and the countries of Eastern Europe, current trends suggest 

 that exchanges with the PRC will evolve slowly and first become 

 formalized under the auspices of nongovernmental scientists working 

 through the National Academy of Sciences. More fcH-mal official 

 exchanges of Government agency personnel will then follow, but 

 probably in a slowly evolving pattern, again, similar to that established 

 with the Soviet Union and the Eastern European countries. A number 

 of factors support this observation: political differences, issues sur- 

 rounding the failure of recent attempts to establish continuing ex- 

 change, and the organization and conduct of research in the PRC. 



"« Several news articles appearing in connection with the President's visit described high priority interests 

 of American scientists who wanted to research and study in the People's BepubUc of China. For example 

 it was reported that social scientists wanted to study "the Maoist man . . . decentralization of industry, 

 commimal Ufe, part-work, part-study regimen for students and scholars . . . ." (Victor Cohn, "U.S. Schol- 

 ars Welcome Exchange Agreement", Washington Post (February 28, 1972), p. A-5.) Health and medical 

 topics reported were of special interest: "Jerold F. Lucey, Professor of pediatrics at the University of Ver- 

 mont, wants to investigate reports the Red Chinese have dropped their premature-birth rate below that 

 in the United States by introducing some simple innovations in prenatal care. . . . Stanley R. Dean, a 

 Miami psychiatrist and member of the American Psychiatric Association's task forcfe on transcultural 

 psychiatry, would like to know more about mental-health activities in Red China." . . . Other researchers 

 want to study the use of medicinal herbs, which the Chinese say can successfully treat 70 percent of man's 

 frequently occurring diseases; pubUc health campaigns that have reduced the incidence of a number of ail- 

 ments; pollution-control efforts that include recycUng gas, liquid, and slag wastes .... (Patrick Young, 

 "Science and Peking; Will Nixon Visit Lead to Exchanges with U.S.?", National Observer (February 26, 

 1972), p. 18) Biology, acupunture, and the study of virology in relationship to origins of the Asian flu, were 

 of special interest to some researchers. (Attributed to Arthur Galston, In Victor Cohn, "U.S. May Ask 

 China For Scientific Ties," Washington Post (January 24, 1972), p. A-5.) 



Other articles describing scientific interest with the People's RepubUc of China were: Victor Cohn, "U.S. 

 Professors' Travel Bids Flood New China Embassy," Washington Post (May 12, 1971), p. A-9; Douglas P. 

 Murray, "Exchanges With China?" Reprint from Exchange, journal of U.S. Advisory Commission on 

 International Educational and Cultural Affairs (Winter 1972), In "Exchange with China?," Remarks of 

 the Honorable John Brademas on the floor of the House, Congressional Record (February 24, 1972), pp. 

 H 1470-72. 



"' Cohn, February 28, 1972, op. cit., p. A-5. 



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