The Ministry of Science and Technology and Shanghai Municipality will launch overall cooperation in the fields of science and technology, the economy and social development, and a number of documents to the effect were signed Wednesday.

Under the documents, the two sides will make joint efforts to promote scientific innovation and launch pilot projects on reforms for scientific and technological progress.

An international research center on wireless communication was also set up, involving related departments of the Shanghai municipal government and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The cooperation is aimed at integrating Shanghai's scientific and technological strategy with the state innovation strategy so as to improve the regional innovation system and support Shanghai to lead other places of China in realizing basic modernization and thus helping accelerate the country's technological innovation.

Shanghai plays an important role in realizing China's strategy to develop the country by relying on science and education and is also a key partner of the Ministry of Science and Technology in promoting the industrialization of research achievements, said Minister Xu Guanhua at the signing ceremony.

(Xinhua News Agency July 15, 2004)