A China-Canada workshop on marine technology, co-sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology and the Canadian National research Council (NRC), was held March 28-29, 2005 in Qingdao. The event attracts the participation of more than 60 scientists from 42 domestic and overseas institutes studying marine technology.

XIANG Jianhai, Chairman of the Expert Committee for Resources and Environment Technology, a part of the National 863 Program, and Prof. Mary Williams of the Marine Technology Institute under NRC, presented a talk on each nation?痵 needs, development status, and future development direction of marine technology. During the meeting, Chinese and Canadian scientists had extensive exchanges and talks on marine watch and forecasting, marine projects, marine gas and mineral resources prospecting and development, marine biotechnology and marine fishing resources utilizations. Scientists of both nations also reached important consensus on a number of cooperation projects, including prospecting marine natural gas hydrates, red tide watch, and marine ecological environment watch. Intention of cooperation has also been reached between two nations in 12 marine technology fields, including instruments for deep sea multi-parameter sectional measurement, offshore aquaculture nutrition and associated genetic improvement, and submarine engineering activities.

The event marks a full-fledged marine technology cooperation between the Chinese and Canadian scientific community, showing the common needs and urgent desires to promote the development of marine technology industry, and laid a solid ground for promoting future cooperation between two nations in marine technology and the associated industry.