Washington, Dec 13 (FN Agency) The United States and China have extended an amended agreement on cooperation in science and ethology for five years, the State Department said on Friday. “On December 13, 2024, the United States and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) signed a protocol to amend the U.S.-PRC Science and Technology Agreement (STA) and extend it for five years,” the statement said. The agreement provides consistent standards for bilateral government-to-government scientific cooperation, it added.
The document sustains intellectual property protections, establishes new guardrails for implementing agencies to protect the safety and security of their researchers, and advances US interests through newly established and strengthened provisions on transparency and data reciprocity, according to the statement. “The amended Agreement ensures that any federal science and technology cooperation with the PRC under the STA benefits the United States and minimizes risks to U.S. national security,” the statement said. The modernized agreement will allow the two countries to manage strategic competition responsibly, the State Department added.