Scientists in China are intensely interested in Israeli science and may be coming to Israel in the not too distant future to investigate it at first hand, Haifa University mathematics Prof. Jonathan Golan said here Thursday on his return from a visit to the People’s Republic of China.
The work of Israeli scientists is well known to the Chinese and their books and research papers are to be found in every university there, Golan said. He said he was invited by the Popular University in Beijing — one of 17 in China’s capital — and travelled as an individual, not a group member to attend a conference there. Israelis in various fields who have gone to China travelled as a group until now.
Golan said he used his Israeli passport even though China has never officially recognized Israel, and received a warm welcome.
“They are very interested in Israeli science. They know there is more scientific output from Israel than there is from all of China. I was accepted very warmly. They are very interested in plugging into the international scientific network,” Golan said.
He said he thought that Chinese scientists would begin coming to Israel in a year or two. “They are all interested but are also somewhat hesitant about being the first to ask for a Chinese exit visa to come to Israel,” he said.
Golan said he and his Chinese colleagues talked very little of politics. “They are not that interested in politics. The Middle East problem is very far from their thoughts or interests. Their attitudes toward us and our regional problems is like ours toward Campuchea, which does interest them,” he said.
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