Rendering of the World Laureates Forum's (WLF) permanent conference site Photo: people.com.cn

The construction of the World Laureates Forum's (WLF) permanent conference site started on Sunday in the Lingang New Area in Shanghai's Pilot Free Trade Zone, location of Tesla's Gigafactory, aiming to build an academic center to promote international communication and cooperation in science and technology among the world's top scientists amid China-US technology competition. 

As one of the world's largest science and technology forums, the WLF aims to promote basic science, advocate international cooperation, and support younger generations of scientists, according to WLF's official website. 

The latest forum held in October 2020 in Shanghai, gathered more than 300 global scientists, including 61 Nobel Prize winners, both online and in person.

The Chinese government is looking forward to working with top scientists and organizations in promoting scientific development and international cooperation in  science and technology.

Rendering of the World Laureates Forum's (WLF) permanent conference site Photo: people.com.cn

The forum has already become an important link to connect the world's top scientists and a significant high level dialogue platform in the global scientific community. The permanent conference site will become an international base for global communication and cooperation in science and technology for top scientists, the news website people.cn reported on Sunday. 

Sun Yuanxin, Deputy Director of the Research Institute for the Shanghai Free Trade Zone at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, told the Global Times on Sunday that locating WLF's permanent conference site in Lingang New Area will help the to develop some important industries, where China has been currently struggling with such as integrate circuit and aerospace industries, through strengthening international cooperation.

Since the Lingang New Area is highly valued by China's central government, it has already become a popular spot to spearhead China's high-tech development.

The conference site has a total area of 223,827 square meters and serves as conference complex, including theaters, libraries, science exhibition halls and hotels, and the construction is expected to be completed in September, 2022, according to people.cn.