On May 27, 2014, a three-person delegation from the European Space Agency (ESA) headed by Prof. Stephen Briggs of ESA Earth Science, Applications and Future Technologies Department, visited the National Space Science Center (NSSC), the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

Prof. WU Ji, Director General of NSSC, extended his warm welcome to the visiting ESA delegation. Prof. Stephen Briggs then introduced ESA’s Earth Observation Programmes, emphasizing the need for international participation. Prof. WANG Chi, deputy Director of NSSC, delivered a report on space weather and global climate change, which illustrated the current space science progress made at NSSC.

In the latter part of the meeting, Prof. LI Xinwu presented the proposed cooperation topics of Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth (RADI), CAS in aspect of image exchange and comparative study on global environmental change using Earth Observing technology.

Prof. SHI Jiancheng, Director of State Key Lab of Remote Sensing Science, introduced Earth Observation in China with emphasis on climate change and disaster monitoring.

All the participants reached consensus that there are potential cooperation opportunities in the earth observation programs between ESA and China and joint effort should be made in the research of issues such as climate change.

The other two ESA delegation members are Professor Maurice Borgeaud, Head of ESA Earth Science, Applications and Future Technologies Department and Karl Bergquist，administrator from the ESA International Relations Department.