Upon the invitation of K.T. Li Foundation for the Development of Science and Technology, Science and Technology Policy Research and Information Center (STPI) joined the 5^th Cross-Strait Science and Technology Forum in Nanjing, China this year after their contribution in the 4^th Cross-Strait Science and Technology Forum in 2017 as a co-organizer. STPI took the opportunity to observe and learn about the administration of the forum as well as forging amicable ties with the co-organizer, China Science and Technology Exchange Center. STPI hopes to leverage the experience gained to organize similar cross-strait events in the future, enabling a continuous and mutually-beneficial exchange of wisdom in the research and development of science and technology. In particular, experts from Taiwan and China can cooperate in complementing each other’s science and technology solutions for livelihood issues, thereby boosting research momentum across the Strait while promoting the welfare of the citizens.

The opening ceremony of the 5^th Cross-Strait Science and Technology Forum.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) has been the adviser of the Cross-Strait Science and Technology Forum throughout the years. With MOST’s support, the forum has become the official platform for both sides to communicate issues related to science and technology. Cross-strait collaborations on science and technology have also progressed from mutual visits to substantial cooperation over time. Representatives of Taiwan delegation at the forum found that experts from both sides shared common grounds in prioritizing livelihood issues as the forum’s topics of concern as well as the prospective areas for joint research.

At the forum, representatives from Taiwan delegation expressed Taiwan’s conundrum of being shut out of certain international meetings due to its political status. As a result, Taiwan usually experiences a time lag in receiving the latest information and knowledge of the new standards and regulations disclosed in those meetings. Therefore, the Cross-Strait Science and Technology Forum organized by MOST Taiwan and MOST China is a valuable opportunity for Taiwan to acquire the latest information and for experts working in various fields to establish bonds and exchange wisdom with their counterparts across the Strait. Both sides also agree that the forum as a significant science and technology event should be sustained in the long run.

Deputy Director-General Baoguo Tian of China’s MOST Department of Science and Technology for Social Development delivers his keynote speech entitled “Science and Technology for Livelihood: Current Development in China and Cross-Strait Cooperation.”

This year, the Cross-Strait Science and Technology Forum was divided into three parallel sessions. The session centered on the issues of food safety and public health discussed Taiwan’s food safety management and inspection systems and the approaches and challenges in applying blockchain technology to formulating food safety management policies. The session on air pollution focused on topics such as the environmental risk exposure of PM2.5 and its effect on health, the impact of long-range transport of air pollutants from East Asia on Taiwan, and the outreach of air pollution issues. The session on energy-saving technology (green building in particular), highlights topics such as the applications of heat-insulated solar glass on energy-efficient buildings, the development of smart energy-consumption monitoring systems for future buildings, and the applications of artificial intelligence software and hardware to saving energy.

Guests of the 5^th Cross-Strait Science and Technology Forum.