On January 7^th , Dr. Niu Xinqiang, President of Changjiang Institute of Survey, Planning, Design and Research was invited to visit Wuhan Botanical Garden along with Dr Shi Boxun, Vice President and three other leaders. Prof. Li Shaohua, the deputy executive director of the WBG, and Prof. Zhang Quanfa, the deputy director warmly hosted the guests.

The visitors first took a tour to the Garden, focusing on plants conservation and the restoration of ecosystem. Later, leaders from the two institutes had a discussion.

Upon the introduction of respective advantages, both sides expressed their keen intention on cooperation, and carried out in depth discussion on the will and means of the strategic cooperation on scientific research, development, personnel exchange and training, and conferred on how to carry out cooperation in a view to better serving large scale water conservancy projects, such as the Three-Gorge Project and South-to-North Water Diversion.

In conclusion, Prof. Zhang Quanfa, the vice director, and (Dr. or Mr.) Shi Boxun, the vice president, signed a letter of intention for technological cooperation on behalf of the Wuhan Botanical Garden of the CAS and Changjiang Institute of Survey, Planning, Design and Research, respectively.

The two institutes expressed wills to take the Construction of Ecologically Civilized Society as an opportunity to give play to respective advantages, focus on ecological and environmental problems emerging during the construction of water conservancy and hydroelectric development, and establish mechanisms to exchange and cooperate that featuring multi-channels, multi-levels and multi-platforms.

The two sides will also strengthen the in-depth cooperation on scientific research and technological development, and improve the nurturing of inter-disciplinary talents.