The 2018 International Conference on Defense Technology opened Monday morning in Beijing, aiming to foster academic communications and exchange in defense technology.

The conference, the first of its kind held in China, is co-hosted by the China Ordnance Society, the Ordnance Science and Research Academy of China and China North Industries Corp, and will last four days at the Beijing Friendship Hotel.

Nearly 400 scientists, researchers, observers and military personnel from 31 countries, including Russia, the UK and Germany, are taking part in the event. Among them are 14 academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering.

This conference is intended to facilitate communications and exchange between defense technology researchers from home and abroad and to introduce Chinese experts on defense science and technology to the international community, according to a statement from the conference’s organizing committee.

During the conference, 15 researchers from 10 nations will make presentations on multiple topics, such as armor, ammunition and electromagnetic launch. A total of 263 academic papers have been submitted to the conference, the statement said.

Clive Woodley, a scientist at the Institute of Shock Physics of the United Kingdom’s Imperial College London and co-chair of the conference, said that China has already become a leader in the research of defense science and technology. He also said he expects such a conference will help to create more opportunities and international collaborations in this field and also boost academic communications among researchers.