UK to advance targeted science cooperation with China

Leading UK researchers working on some of the biggest challenges facing the UK – from tackling climate change to improving our health – will have their work boosted by new opportunities to collaborate with experts in China. 

A UK delegation made up of figures from the National Academies, universities sector, and UKRI and led by Science Minister Lord Vallance, will meet with Chinese politicians, academics and business leaders in Beijing today (Tuesday 11 November), to agree specific areas where the UK and China can work together on science, and where both countries stand to benefit. 

Today’s 11th meeting of the UK-China Joint Commission on Science and Technology is part of the UK’s consistent and pragmatic approach to China, which is helping to deliver economic growth and supporting UK jobs and businesses – including Trade Secretary Peter Kyle having secured over £1 billion of market access wins over 5 years for British firms, with our world-class car making and food and drink industries among them, as part of his visit to China in September. 

The Joint Commission Meeting taking place today will discuss 4 specific areas where the UK sees potential benefits to working more closely with China – looking at particular fields of research within climate change and environmental science, planetary science and astronomy, health research, as well as agriculture and food research. 

National security is the first duty of government and all international science collaboration is undertaken with this in mind. The UK robustly tackles any espionage and interference threats posed by China, and national security relies on world-leading scientific advances to ensure we stay ahead- not engaging is not in the UK’s national interests. That is why the government is supporting collaboration in the areas the UK stands to benefit – on climate, astronomy, health, and agri-food – while recognising that other areas pose more risk. 

A stable and balanced UK-China science relationship offers mutual benefits. As home to 4 of the world’s top 10 universities, and with a growing $1.2 trillion tech sector, the UK is a natural destination for cutting-edge science and research. China, with 25% of the world’s R&D workforce, and 20% of the world’s top academic institutions, brings significant science and research ambition and expertise.  Both countries are in prime position to reap the benefits of targeted cooperation in areas like global health, climate change and the environment. 

UK Science Minister Lord Vallance said: 

Science is international by definition, and we can achieve more when we work with others. While we will never compromise our values and national security, we have to be open to all opportunities to improve people’s lives and grow our economy. That can come through cautious, sensible and informed international science cooperation.

The UK wants a stable, consistent and mutually beneficial relationship with China – where we can be frank about where we disagree, support and uphold academic freedom, but also find targeted opportunities to work together that are in both our interests. Harnessing the vast potential for our scientists and researchers to make joint breakthroughs in global health, clean energy and more is something that UK, China, and the world stand to benefit from.

Lord Vallance will see some of the opportunities this sort of work offers in the fight against climate change, in particular, when he visits the Institute for Carbon Neutrality, one of China’s leading decarbonisation research institutes, at Tsinghua University. He will also visit Guangzhou’s UK-China CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage) Centre, which sees researchers and businesses from both countries working together on climate solutions for the future. 

Today’s Joint Commission Meeting is part of work to bring a consistent, long-term and strategic approach to managing our science relations with China, grounded in the UK’s national interests. 

Throughout his engagements, Minister Vallance will continue to challenge China on areas of disagreement, as UK Ministers have consistently done in their discussions with Chinese counterparts. This includes raising concerns over China’s support for Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine, the continued erosion of protected rights and freedoms in Hong Kong, including the case of British National Jimmy Lai, and cases of interference in the UK’s democratic system. He will also raise concerns over China’s approach to data, intellectual property, and technology transfer, and make clear that the UK will never tolerate attempts by foreign states to suppress freedom of speech, or academic freedom. 

Notes to editors 

A Joint Statement from the 2025 UK-China Joint Commission on Science and Technology will be published on gov.uk, following the meeting having taken place.

UK research institutions are independent of government and we encourage them to pursue partnerships and engage internationally, provided they comply with UK security policies and regulations, which are designed to safeguard the UK’s national security. 

The UK was one of the first countries to implement measures to combat threats to research security in a targeted and measured way. 

We have a robust approach to risk in the research sector, ensuring that institutions are alert to security risks and able to make informed decisions when collaborating internationally, backed by the government’s comprehensive regulatory powers. 

Our support to the research and innovation sector on managing the risks in international research collaboration includes providing the Research Collaboration Advice Team (RCAT) to offer tailored advice, the recently announced Economic Security Advisory Service, NPSA and NCSC’s Secure Innovation guidance. and DSIT’s new Secure Innovation Security Reviews for SMEs. 

Since March 2022, RCAT advisers have carried out more than 3,800 engagements with over 155 UK research institutions.