Sci-Tech

16th Tripartite Environment Ministers Meeting Concludes

The 16th three-party talks between the environmental ministers of China， South Korea and Japan was held in Daegu， South Korea， from April 28 to 29. The participants exchanged views on their progress of environmental protection work and regional and global environmental issues. The meeting agreed on priority areas for the next five-year cooperation， including air quality improvement， biodiversity protection， climate change and rural environmental protection.

The meeting was attended by Chinese Vice Minister of Environmental Protection Li Ganjie， South Korean Environment Minister Yoon Seong-kyu and their Japanese counterpart Ishihara Nobuteru. Li said Chinas increasingly serious air pollution formed over a long period of time and therefore will take time to deal with. China needs to make persistent effort and draw upon international experiences and practices including those of South Korea and Japan. China will remain open and active in multilateral environmental cooperation with South Korea and Japan. Li also welcomed cooperation at local levels and suggested enhancing exchanges and cooperation among scientists.

South Korea introduced national policies on trans-boundary air pollution control including particulate matter， the PM 2.5 or fine dust， and suggested the three countries take coordinated actions against PM 2.5. Japan introduced its latest policies and measures for environmental issues such as monitoring and reducing PM 2.5.

CAS President Elected Foreign Member of the Royal Society

Bai Chunli， president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences（CAS）， has been awarded foreign membership of the Royal Society of the United Kingdom， according to an announcement released by the society in London. In its statement， Bai was described as one of the pioneers in the field of nanoscience with outstanding scientific achievements as well as a leading figure in Chinas science circles. In 2012 he was elected president of the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World， the first Chinese to hold the position in the last 30 years.

Founded in 1660， the Royal Society is generally considered to be the oldest of its kind still in existence. Including scientific luminaries such as Albert Einstein， Charles Darwin and Isaac Newton， the Royal Society permanent membership symbolizes the highest tier of scientific achievement. The CAS has maintained a cooperative relationship with the Royal Society for many years. During recent years， the two institutions have intensified cooperation in such fields as climate change and synthetic biology.

New Lunar Rover Unveiled at Chongqing Tech Fair

Chinas space exploration agency recently unveiled a new four-wheeled lunar rover， sparking speculation about sending Chinese astronauts to the moon.

The vehicle was displayed at the 11th China Chongqing High-tech Fair， and instantly attracted a frenzy of attention. Being developed by the Ministry of Educations Center of Space Exploration， the vehicle can carry two people and a heavy payload. It will carry the nations first astronauts to the moon， says Zhan Hanjing， deputy chief designer at the center. Research and development for the rover was commissioned jointly by several central government departments that oversee Chinas space program， including the State Administration of Science， Technology and Industry for National Defense and the Ministry of Education.

The new lunar vehicle， though outwardly rough and unsophisticated， boasts an outstanding ability to roam over bumpy terrain with its strong and lightweight frame. The center is also working on two other rovers. Chinas first rover to touch the moons surface is the 140-kilogram， six-wheeled Yutu， which was part of the Change-3 mission last year.

Chinas Research on Multipotent Stem Cell Leads the World

At BITs 4th Annual World Congress of Molecular & Cell Biology （CMCB-2014）， held in Dalian in April， Chinas SCL Bioengineering Co.， Ltd. released its core product –SCL multipotent stem cells， the worlds only patented stem cells with certified quality control. According to Nobel Laureate Dr. Danny Shechtman， multipotent stem cells can not only help to treat diseases， but also have an extensive use in tissue engineering and organ reconstruction.

CMCB is the most professional and cutting-edge international conference in the field of global molecule and cell biology. Eleven Nobel laureates in physiology or medicine and experts， scholars and entrepreneurs from more than 50 countries and regions participated in the congress.