On May 27,Academician Hou Xun and Vice Director of CAS XIOPM ("XIOPM" below) led a team to pay visit to Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology ("QNLMST"). During the visit, they had exchange and informal discussion with Academician and Director Wu Lixin, Managing Vice Director Wang Zaiyi, and Vice Director Song Jinming of QNLMST, and concluded the strategic cooperation agreement. Both parties agreed to start all-round strategic cooperation in research of underwater optics and establish "joint marine optics lab" under the framework of QNLMST, so as to gather China’s advantageous resources in underwater optics and marine optics, practice synergic innovation, lift level and serve national marine development strategy. 

During informal discussion, Academician Wu Lixin firstly introduced mission and positioning of QNLMST: QNLMST, established jointly by relevant national ministry and commission, Shandong Province and Qingdao City, centers on national marine development strategy to carry out basic research and cutting-edge technology research; relies on Qingdao to serve all relevant parties around China; faces the world to build internationally leading marine technological research center and open synergic innovation platform; gathers innovation resources and innovation team to carry out original research, spare no efforts to lift China’s independent innovation capability in marine science and technology, and lead development of China’s marine science and technology. 

Wang Feng, Vice Manager of the Technology and Management Department of XIOPM, gave introduction to history and current situations of XIOPM; Academician Hou Xun reviewed the course of development of XIOPM in underwater optics; Wu Guojun, Vice Director of the Research Section for Advanced Optical Instruments introduced progress of researches in underwater optics. Vice Director pointed out that as an important research unit for underwater optics, XIOPM started relevant research as far back as 1988, and has pooled a batch of excellent talents, carried out original and forward-looking researches, completed multiple national major research tasks in succession and made remarkable achievements. In the future, XIOPM would like to actively participate in researches of QNLMST and make its contributions to national marine program. Through exchange and conversation, both parties unanimously agreed to conclude the strategic cooperation agreement. After the informal discussion, XIOPM Vice Director and QNLMST Managing Vice Director Wang Zaiyi executed the agreement respectively on behalf of their units. With the agreement, XIOPM and QNLMST will then enhance cooperation and exchange, to jointly explore China’s demands for and future development of underwater optics. Conclusion of the agreement will also further promote virtuous circulation of research on basic theory of underwater optics in China, key technology tackling and useful equipment R&D and industrialization, to serve national strategic demands. 

71% of the earth surface is covered by water and resources are extremely rich underwater; China boasts a sea area of 3million sq.km, and ocean is an important strategic security field in national defense and a treasure to be developed. Underwater optics is one of important approaches to probe and identify target in water and research and develop ocean, and will surely become one of important fields of optics and optics engineering. XIOPM Research Fellow Chen Liangyi, Research Fellow and Vice Manager Wang Feng of the Technology and Management Department and Vice Director Wu Guojun of the Research Section for Advanced Optical Instruments joined the signing ceremony. 

That same day, XIOPM members joining the signing ceremony also participated in the symposium for units involving marine affairs organized by QNLMST, and carried out exchanges and discussions about underwater optics and marine optics with Department of Science & Technology of Shandong Province, Qingdao Bureau of Science & Technology, Qingdao National Research Center for Marine Science and Technology, National Deep Sea Base, Qingdao Institute for Marine Apparatus and Instruments, Qingdao University and other marine-related units and government authorities, laying foundation for following cooperation.