A strategic cooperation agreement was signed by and among ISL, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry CAS (SIOC), and Shanghai Institute of Advanced Technology CAS (SIAT), which is being organized now, in Shanghai on May 11th 2009.
The mission of the joint effort is to implement the nation's strategy for the development of western regions and the operation principles of CAS in the new era, to boost effective development of the affluent strategic salt lake resources of China and effect comprehensive utilization of the salt lake resources, along with the operation of CAS's knowledge innovation program.
As from today, the three parties will carry out vigorous and extensive collaborations in the technologies of separation and extraction of strategic salt lake elemental resources and other fields, by exploring each party's particular fields of competitiveness, namely, the expertise and advanced research facilities of the internationally prominent SIOC in their field of metal extractants and isotopic fractionation, the leading position and expertise of ISL as a national research institution in the field of comprehensive exploration and utilization of salt lakes, 
and the productive management system, incentive policies and industrialization incubating platform of SIAT.
During their stay in Shanghai, ISL Director Ma Haizhou discussed with SIOC on a few issues that both parties will cooperatively proceed with in the short term. CAS members Yuan Chengye, Zhang Pengxi, Fei Weiyang and CAE member Yuan Weikang attended the seminar and offered some important instructive suggestions, which helped broaden our perspectives of cooperation, hence promoting the scope and influence of the cooperation. The seminar has formed a basis of good operability for future collaborations between both parties.