On July 12, 2017, the First Conference of International Science Centers—co-sponsored by the city of Beijing and the Chinese Academy of Sciences—was held in Beijing. Representatives of science centers, national laboratories and international organizations from 12 countries gathered at the beautiful Yanqi Lake in Huairou to discuss the formation of an international cooperation alliance for collaboration in the planning, construction, management and operation of comprehensive science centers.

 Dr. Chen Jining, acting mayor of Beijing, delivered a welcome speech. Dr. Wang Enge, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, read a speech by Dr. Bai Chunli, president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Yin Hejun, deputy mayor of Beijing, presented a keynote speech on the planning and outlook of Beijing Huairou Comprehensive National Science Center.

 At the conference, the delegates engaged in extensive discussions regarding the construction of national science centers. Directors, scientists and experts from world-renowned science centers such as Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the United States, PSI National Laboratory in Switzerland, Ulrich Research Center in Germany, Tsukuba Science City in Japan, and Posco Accelerator Laboratory in South Korea, presented keynote speeches on the development plans and construction experiences of their laboratories, and the current status and future outlook of their organizations.

During the conference, Dr. Bai Chunli met with representatives of many international organizations, and invited experts from all over the world to work closely with Chinese scientists and actively participate in the planning, construction and operation management of Huairou Comprehensive National Science Center, with the goal of establishing an international alliance for scientific and technological cooperation.