MACAO, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Macao will position itself as a platform for science and technology exchange so as to boost the cooperation of this area between the Special Administrative Region(SAR) and the Chinese mainland, said Lau Si Io, the SAR's secretary for transport and public works, on Friday.

    Lau made the remark at the second meeting of "Mainland-Macao Science and Technology Cooperation Committee" held here on Friday. Vice minister of China's Science and Technology Ministry, Shang Yong, who headed an official delegation to Macao, also attended the meeting.

    Although the two sides' science and technology cooperation is still in its initial stage, Macao is capable of playing its role as a platform promoting the two-way transfer of research achievements between the Chinese mainland and foreign nations and regions, said Lau.

    In the past year, exhibition events concerning new technology in various fields, such as the Macao International Environmental Cooperation Forum and the Macao International Medicine Expo, were held here.

    Lau noted that these were all "beneficial attempts" for the SAR to establish itself as a platform for science and technology exchange in the comprehensive cooperation between Macao and the mainland.

    In October 2005, the two sides signed an agreement on the establishment of the Committee, which held its first meeting in Beijing, capital of China, last year.

    The committee has listed four areas as the priority of the two sides' cooperation, which included Chinese medicine and pharmacology, environmental-friendly and energy-saving technology, electronic and information technology, and the dissemination of science and technology knowledge.

    For his part, Shang pointed out that the joint projects concerning the four areas should be implemented as soon as possible, and in the meantime, the Chinese mainland authorities will give full support to the regional cooperation between Macao and neighboring mainland provinces and municipalities.

    According to Lau, universities in Macao has laid out their plans of scientific research development for the near future, by building more facilities, bringing in more talents, and strengthening their connections with science and technology institutions and labs worldwide.

    "Hopefully, under the framework of the committee, the cooperation can help (Macao) universities find out their key research fields," Lau said.