A technical center, part of a Sino-US digital library, has been set up in Zhejiang University, east China.

The China Education and Research Digital Library was jointly initiated last year by Professor Raj Reddy of the US-based Carnegie-Mellon University, Dr. Liu Qinzhi of Simmon College and Dr. Gao Wen of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

With a total cost of US$20 million, equally shared by China and the United States, the project will be completed in four years.

Beside the technical center in Zhejiang University, another one will be built at the postgraduate school of the CAS. There are also 12 digital resources centers based in 12 universities such as Peking University and Tsinghua University, and some 30 large data banks.

The US side will be responsible for the necessary equipment, technical support, personnel training and the purchase of American resources and copy rights, while the Chinese side will be responsible for the establishment of the technical platform and technical norms and the purchase of Chinese resources and copy rights.

(Xinhua News Agency April 2, 2002)