The UK's scientific productivity and inventiveness are legendary: the country's Nobel prize tally is second only to that of the US, and with just 1 per cent of the world's population the UK receives around 12 per cent of the world's science citations. China has one of the world's fastest developing scientific and research bases. From genome research to nanotechnology and clean coal research, Chinese scientists are making their mark.

The Science and Innovation teams at the Embassy and Consulates-General in China work to facilitate scientific collaboration and understanding between the two nations.

• We ensure that Ministers and leading research organisations in the UK are properly informed about science and technology developments in China.
• We identify centres of scientific excellence in China and fruitful areas of potential collaboration between UK and Chinese research teams and institutes.
• We work to raise awareness in China of the strengths of UK science and R&D performance - and in the UK of the strengths of Chinese science and R&D.
• We work to identify mutually beneficial commercial opportunities for UK science organisations and companies.

To achieve all this we have a team of five officers in Beijing dedicated science and innovation. They in turn are part of a China network of 13 such officers based in Beijing and at British Consulates in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chongqing.

Together these individuals comprise the UK's largest group of dedicated science and innovation diplomats outside of the US - a reflection of the importance the UK attaches to building relations with China in science and technology.

In the beginning of 2005 we launched an initiative called UK-China Partners in Science, designed to bring unprecedented numbers of UK scientists, technologists and leading UK science organisations to China to map out potential areas of future collaboration with Chinese counterparts. Phase II of the UK-China Partners in Science programme of activities completed in March 2008. Work now continues to develop sustainable UK-China science and innovation partnership, supported by both UK and China governments, in to the future.

In this and other initiatives the Science and Innovation team works closely with the Embassy's Press and Public Affairs team and its Trade and Investment team, and the British Council.