China’s Science and Technology Ministry announced on December 13, 2024 that the Chinese and American governments have signed a protocol to amend the Agreement Between the United States and China on Cooperation in Science and Technology (STA) and extend it for additional five years, effective as of August 27, 2024.
Originally inked on January 31, 1979 between Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping and US president Jimmy Carter, the STA was one of the first government-to-government agreements signed between the two countries after the establishment of diplomatic ties, and has provided a strong guarantee for the two countries’ scientific and technological cooperation. The STA should have been renewed every five years, but it expired on February 27, 2024, when the Biden Administration refused to renew it following a six-month extension from August 2023.
The STA renewal is seen as a good signal for smoothing ties between the two countries. Lin Jian, spokesperson of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a press conference on December 16, 2024 that renewing the STA will not only contribute to both countries’ science and technology advancement and socioeconomic development, but also enable China and the US to respond to global challenges together, which will in turn benefit people around the world.
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