Vice-Premier Liu Yandong calls for more cooperation with Germany when she visited on Thursday Hamburg-based German Electron Synchrotron (DESY) and the European x-ray free electron laser (European XFEL), a research laser facility scheduled to start operating in 2017. [Fu Jing/chinadaily.com.cn]

Vice-Premier Liu Yandong majored in chemistry when she studied in the Beijing-based Tsinghua University decades ago and, as she recalled on Thursday, the first woman Nobel Prize winner Marie Curie was her example. She had also been fascinated by dazzling chemical changes and even wanted to film such processes, if possible.

After visiting an underground high-tech research facility in Hamburg on Thursday, Liu said her job, in her capacity as vice-premier now, has shifted to trigger "social chemistry."

"Chemistry is so important in dealing with relations between countries and people," said Liu, using her memory of early years to refer to the sound cooperation in science and technology between China and Germany.

"China will continuously maintain such momentum to boost personnel exchanges with Germany, a scientific power."

She said China now invests 2.1 percent of its economic output into research and development in science and technology to achieve its goal of becoming a power of science and innovation as well.

"And one of the priorities is to boost international cooperation," said Liu, who is on her three-day visit to Germany to boost bilateral cooperation in science, technology, education, culture and sports.

Her first stop happened in Hamburg-based German Electron Synchrotron (DESY) and the European x-ray free electron laser (European XFEL), a research laser facility scheduled to start operating in 2017

She visited the modules that make up the European XFEL’s 1.7-km-long superconducting electron accelerator and was informed of the current status of the commissioning of the X-ray laser.

Liu also met with Chinese scientists who are working for DESY and the European XFEL. Then she visited the European XFEL accelerator tunnel.

For decades, Germany has been one of the most open countries in the West to export high technologies, knowledge and know-hows to China, helping it to realize economic takeoff. And in Beijing, a Chinese-German science and technology center was set up for years to boost bilateral cooperation.

Martin Meedom Nielsen, the Chairman of the European XFEL Council, said the XFEL is a truly international facility, incorporating key components and know-how developed in Europe, America, and Asia.

He said China was already involved in the early phase of the planning of the facility, and is still playing an important role for the European XFEL, by designing and manufacturing key components, through involvement in a user consortium, and through a lively exchange of visits and personnel.

"We would warmly welcome China to enter talks for joining the facility," said Nielsen.

The chairman of the DESY Board of Directors Helmut Dosch said his institute has a 40-year tradition of collaborating with colleagues from China and today more than 100 scientists and engineers from China, out of about 2,000 in total, are working in the institute.

"I hope that we can intensify this fruitful cooperation with new joint research projects at our unique research sources," said Dosch.

The 11 Chinese researchers introduced their projects briefly to Liu one by one and the youngest one was born in 1991. She encouraged them to return to China or cooperate with Chinese researchers to team up with German-Chinese cooperation.

And some of them have responded to go back to China soon to begin their research career.

"I am very happy to know that Germany is open to receiving Chinese scientists and I am keen on boosting two-way exchanges in this area," said Liu.

Liu is scheduled to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday and she is also attending a seminar on boosting football cooperation between China and Germany on Saturday before wrapping up her three-day visit.