The agreement was signed by Wu Zhongze, Chinese vice-minister of science and technology and his South African counterpart Buylwa Sonjica.

The two governments agreed that researchers and scientists will carry out research and development of municipal bridge management information system, innovative pavement materials technology, new materials and management, chromium-magnesium point-spar deep process, primary health care tele-medicine and traditional Chinese tele-diagnosis.

The joint research will also cover evaluation of drought tolerant grass and forage species, technologies for restoring degraded arid and semi-arid rangelands, laser photodynamic therapy of tumors using phthalocyanines, audio/video signal processing and monitoring system as well as copper mining technology.

Wu, who heads a six-member government delegation, is in South Africa for the Second Session of the Science and Technology Joint Committee between China and South Africa, which started on March 11.

The Chinese vice minister said that China is the largest developing country in the world while South Africa is a major developing country on the African continent, and China would like to enhance cooperation with South Africa and be involved in the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).

China is willing to conduct cooperation and exchanges with South Africa in such fields as peaceful use of nuclear energy, mini-satellite, remote sensing, mining, space, medicine and healthcare, he said.

Sonjica said that her country's cooperation with China in the fields of science and technology will help the government's efforts to boost economy.

"We are confident that South Africa's scientific and technological collaboration with China will bring a cross-pollination of ideas that will assist our government in its efforts to combat poverty, crime, HIV/Aids, etc., and to ensure that our country's economy is boosted by sustainable development," she said.

She said that South Africa was particularly interested in China's Spark Program and she will go to China in October to learn about it.

To promote engineering and scientific information exchanges between China and South Africa, the China-Africa Engineering Association (CAEA) was established in South Africa in 1997.

It also focused on promoting and organizing exchange programs for engineering experts and scholars to visit South Africa.

The CAEA in South Africa had successfully organized three annual forums on South Africa Engineering and Technological Science Cooperation in 2000, 2001 and 2003 in Pretoria. These forums were used as platforms to exchange information, discuss projects and cooperation between the two countries.

In March 1999, South Africa signed an agreement on science and technology cooperation with the People's Republic of China. The agreement focused on the funding of various projects in fields such as biotechnology, raw materials, and information communications technology.

(Xinhua News Agency March 13, 2003)