QUITO, Sept. 16 -- Officials from China and 33 member states on the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) on Wednesday attended a meeting featuring scientific and technological innovation held in Quito, capita of Ecuador.

During the two-day meeting, which is the first of the kind ever held under the framework of China-CELAC Forum, participants will discuss topics including national policies on technology and innovation; technology transfer; biodiversity and development; green science and technology for sustainable development, according to the organizers.

Rene Ramirez with Ecuador's National Secretariat of Science, Technology and Innovation, the host of Wednesday's meeting, blamed low input in spreading knowledge and innovation for the region's status of lagging far behind in science and technology.

Ramirez praised China for its achievement in the field of science and technological development and said China's cooperation is the key to helping CELAC progress.

China's Minister of Science and Technology Wan Gang said at the opening ceremony that China and Latin American countries enjoy good basis and great potential for cooperation in terms of scientific and technological innovation. More and more scientific and technological achievements reached jointly by the two sides have come out of the laboratory and been turned into real economic and social value, which serves as the new drive of China-Latin America relations.

In his speech, Wan also announced the launch of the "Science and Technology Partnership" and the "Young Scientists Exchange Program" between China and the Latin American and the Caribbean countries. He also proposed the establishment of a joint national laboratory and China-Latin America National Technology Transfer Center.