Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and NASA renew the bilateral cooperation agreement with the concern and support of the leaders of CAS and the directors of Board Basis and International Cooperative Bureau, which guarantee much broader development space in the coming five years for this cooperation lasting for 28 years from 1982.

The cooperation enables the area of Astrometry and Geodesy of China get technical support of USA, strongly push the construction and upgrading of China VLBI Net (CVN), Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) Net and GPS Net, this area directly steps into space age from drawing support from overseas platform in traditional phase.

From June 9 to June 13, 1997, sponsored and invited by Department of Earth Observation of NASA, Space Earth Observation Applications Delegation of Science and Technology Commission of China visited USA and signed the memorandum meeting summary on developing cooperative research of earth observation, environment and climate change. CAS and NASA updated related cooperation agreement in 2005, the contents of cooperation includes the Living on a Restless Planet plan of Year 2000-2005 of Solid Earth Workgroup of NASA and the support given to the international cooperation plan, the APSG of China.

Now the cooperation develops very well. Both sides involved fully recognize that the renewal of the cooperation agreement is of positive significance to both China and US, especially to China, regardless of the status of Sino-US relations. Under the above background, NASA and CAS contacted and discussed several times after this spring festival. On the basis of fully confirm of the positive influence of the cooperation and discussion of the prospects of the cooperation, both sides renew the cooperation agreement in form of official letter again. The renewal of the Aagreement has profound influence on the development of Shanghai Astronomical Observatory.