China and the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) have agreed to build a joint research center. The decision was made during a recent visit by four CERN representatives to Beijing.

CERN Director Fabiola Gianotti and her delegation visited the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) on Sept. 16. IHEP directors, professors from China's top universities, and officials from CAS and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) met with the CERN group.

IHEP Director Wang Yifang welcomed the visitors. Director Gianotti expressed her gratitude and briefed attendees on CERN's recent research progress. The meeting subsequently focused on discussion of four experiments on the Large Hadron Collider (LHC); accelerator technology; high energy physics computing; and the AMS experiment.

In his address to the group, Director Wang summarized the history of cooperation between China and CERN and pointed out the challenges facing the two sides. He then proposed establishing a China-CERN joint research center and set forth preliminary ideas about such a plan.

After in-depth discussion, the two sides agreed to establish a joint research center as soon as possible. They also agreed to hold regular bilateral meetings, alternating between China and CERN. After the meeting, the two parties signed a cooperation agreement on the design, manufacture, testing and analysis of MCBRD magnets (i.e., CCT magnets) for the High Luminosity-LHC Project.

On Sept. 17, the CERN delegation visited the Chinese Academy of Sciences, NSFC and the Ministry of Science and Technology to hold talks with the leaders of relevant departments.