(Yicai) Sept. 17 -- China's continuous increase in research and development investment has created mutually beneficial opportunities for cooperation between the United Kingdom and China, according to the director of China office of UK Research and Innovation.

The rapid enhancement of Chinese universities' research capabilities, which now enables China to conduct world-leading cutting-edge research, is also creating more beneficial opportunities for cooperation between the two countries, Dr. Daniel Brooker told Yicai in an exclusive interview.

UKRI, the UK's largest public research funding agency with an annual budget exceeding GBP8 billion (USD10.9 billion), has four global offices, including one in China. UKRI facilitates international research cooperation between the UK and other countries through joint funding, academic exchanges, and other initiatives.

The UK is China's third-largest source of foreign investment in Europe and the second-largest destination for China's direct investment in the continent. Bilateral investment covers the finance, manufacturing, automotive, pharmaceuticals, new energy, and other sectors.

Preliminary statistics indicate that the UK's cumulative investment in actual use in China exceeded USD35 billion as of July, while China's direct investment in stocks traded in the UK had surpassed USD32 billion, according to data from China's Ministry of Commerce.

Excerpts of the interview are below:

Yicai: Could you introduce the role UKRI has played in UK-China research collaborations and the amount of funding it has facilitated?

Daniel Brooker: UKRI is the primary research funding agency in the UK. Over the past 18 years, we have collaborated with China on approximately 800 joint projects, investing around GBP440 million (USD598 million) from the UK. Our funding is match funded by Chinese funding agencies including NSFC and MOST. These collaborations span a wide range of academic disciplines, with the goal of fostering partnerships that deliver significant scientific benefits for both countries.

Yicai: Which areas are most promising for UK-China research collaboration? We've seen DeepSeek, and artificial intelligence seems to be a hot topic.

Brooker: AI is indeed a rapidly evolving field impacting research and innovation across a range of disciplines. The UK has engaged in dialogue with China on deploying AI technology safely and securely, addressing governance and ethical considerations; for example at the AI Safety Summit. Beyond AI, we see potential in areas where the UK and China have share mutual interests, particularly in tackling global challenges. These include climate change, where we aim to develop solutions for a carbon-neutral future; health, to address issues like aging populations, infectious diseases, and non-communicable diseases such as dementia and cancer; and agriculture, with a focus on sustainable food production.

Yicai: Over the past 18 years, have you observed any changes or shifts in UK-China research cooperation?

Brooker: The most significant change has been China's dramatic increase in investment in research and development. Chinese universities have rapidly enhanced their research capacity and are now conducting world-leading research. Many are globally recognized as top institutions. This creates opportunities for mutually beneficial collaborations. When UK universities partner with their Chinese counterparts, the resulting research is often world-leading, as it brings together top experts from both nations. From a funding perspective, our aim is to connect the best researchers globally, and China's emergence as a leading research nation offers avenues for collaboration in specific disciplines.

Yicai: What new strategies is UKRI implementing under your leadership to enhance the scale or impact of UK-China research collaborations?

Brooker: Our primary strategy is to foster greater dialogue and knowledge exchange. We aim to bring UK and Chinese researchers together to share knowledge and expertise, helping us identify high-impact collaboration opportunities. These efforts are driven by both the scientific community and government priorities, as UKRI is a government-funded agency. We work closely with the UK's Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and our Chinese counterparts to align opportunities with governmental interests. We have different mechanisms to do this from joint programmes to mobility programmes and translating research into innovation to create products and services with real-world applications and economic benefits for both nations.

Yicai: Are you referring to tangible outcomes and outputs from these collaborations?

Brooker: Yes, as a funder we invest in research to generate outcomes that benefit people economically, socially, and culturally, addressing major challenges like environmental and health issues. While our primary focus is the UK, we also aim to create shared global benefits. Many global challenges, such as the climate crisis or health issues related to aging populations, cannot be solved by the UK alone. China is an importantpartner in addressing these through collaborative research that delivers tangible impacts, such as advancements in renewable energy or healthcare solutions.

Yicai: Given geopolitical tensions around technology, investment, and national security, how does UKRI maintain open collaborations between the UK and China?

Brooker: We acknowledge the broader geopolitical context, as do our Chinese partners, but our approach to scientific collaboration emphasizes producing research outputs that are publicly accessible. UKRI is committed to an open-access policy, ensuring that publications and outputs from our funded programs are available for global use by researchers. This commitment to open science drives global benefits, particularly in addressing global challenges. We maintain regular dialogue with our Chinese partners to share best practices and our approach is to fund research can be as open as possible and as secure as necessary.

Yicai: Is UKRI strengthening ties with China's public and private sectors to mobilize funding?

Brooker: We already have an established partnership with China, which is the UK's second-largest research collaborator after the US, and vice versa for China in certain joint research areas. We see further opportunities for collaboration, particularly as our governments engage in dialogues on health,climate and science issues. Research cooperation is part of how the UK and China can work together, and we are exploring these opportunities within the framework of our bilateral relationship established between governments.

Yicai: Looking one to three years ahead, will UKRI introduce new commitments, funding, or plans for collaboration with China?

Brooker: We are exploring new opportunities focused on mutual interests and a desire to use research to tackle global challenges like health, climate and sustainable development. One of our immediate priorities is on the climate agenda, we're focused on understanding the health impacts of climate change and air pollution, as well as sustainable cities, biodiversity, and sustainable food production. These efforts aim to support a net-zero future and also promote a more circular, sustainable economy. We are in discussions to identify where we can support future collaborations in these areas.

Editor: Futura Costaglione