China Association for Science and Technology(CAST) is a mass organization of China's scientific and technological workers, which functions as a bridge through which the government maintains its link with scientific and technological workers. CAST is therefore an important social force in developing the country's science and technology. Founded under its present name in September 1958, CAST has developed into a federation of 165 national professional societies, including 31 provincial branches and their widely distributed grass-root organizations, totaling 4.3 million members throughout China.
For nearly 40 years, China Association for Science and Technology(CAST), China's umbrella organization for the country's scientific and technological workers, has traversed a glorious course of development in company with the progress of science and technology, and the economic and social development of the People's Republic of China. Since its very early days, CAST has demonstrated its ability to bring together outstanding professionals who possess various expertise. CAST, in its persistence of upgrading and popularizing science, and in its broad connection with scientific and technological workers regardless of their department, trade or geographical location, has proved itself an important social force in developing China's science and technology, stands prominently amongst the world science and technology communities.
By implementation of the strategies of revitalizing the nation with science and education and of sustainable development, the pace of science and technology progress as well as the socio-economic development will be greatly accelerated. Looking into the future, we can see more opportunities than challenges. Therefore, we should work even harder and strive to make greater contributions to the realization of the splendid goals of our nation.

-- To organize academic exchanges with an aim to enliven academic ideas and promote the development of various disciplines;
-- To popularize scientific knowledge, propagate scientific ideas and methodology, disseminate advanced technologies and organize science-related activities among the youth and children;
-- To voice the opinions and demands of scientific and technological workers, safeguard their legitimate rights, and encourage them to participate in science and technology related decision-making as well as state affairs;
-- To commend and award prizes to outstanding scientific and technological workers;
-- To undertake evaluation of science-related projects and other work on request;
-- To organize international exchange programs, maintain and develop collaborative relations with foreign scientific communities;
-- To carry out continuing education and training;
-- To operate undertakings in compliance with the purposes of CAST.

Vision: CAS strives to build itself into a scientific research base at advanced international level, a base for fostering and bringing up advanced S&T talents, and a base for promoting the development of China's high and new technology industries. By 2010, CAS will have 80 national institutes noted for their powerful capacities in S&T innovation and sustainable development or with distinctive features; thirty of them will become internationally acknowledged, high-level research institutions, and three to five will be world class.

Guideline for Running CAS: Catering to the national strategic demands and aiming at the world science frontiers, efforts will be made to promote original innovation in scientific research and the innovation and integration of key technologies, so as to scale the heights of world science and technology, and make fundamental, strategic and forward-looking contributions to China's economic reconstruction, national security and sustainable development.

Values: Science, democracy, patriotism and contribution
Motto: Realistic approach, truth-seeking attitude, collaborative work and creative spirit

Guo Moruo, a historian and archeologist, was the founding president of CAS. A native of Leshan City, Sichuan Province. In his early years, he studied in Japan. Afterwards, he gave up medicine and took liberal arts. In 1921, he published his first collection of poetry, Goddess. After 1924, he accepted Marxism, and advocated revolutionary literature. In 1927, he took part in the Nanchang Uprising, and joined the Communist Party of China. The next year, he went into exile to Japan, engaged in the research into ancient Chinese history and ancient characters, and wrote Research into Ancient Chinese Society, General Compilation of Oracle Inscriptions, and other academic monographs. In 1930, he joined the "Union of Left-Wing Writers". In the Anti-Japanese War, in the Kuomintang-ruled area, he was engaged in the anti-Japanese and national salvation movement, and was appointed Director of the Third Bureau of the Political Department of the Military Committee of the National Government. During that time he wrote The Bronze Times and Book on Ten Critiques. In 1948, he was elected Academician of Academia Sinica. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, he was appointed Vice Premier of the Government Administration Council (of the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China, replaced in 1954 by the State Council) and concurrent Director of the State Culture and Education Commission.

(2)Fang Yi (1916 -- 1997)

Fang Yi was CAS president from 1978 to 1981.A native of Xiamen (Amoy) City, Fujian Province. In 1930, he joined the Communist Youth League of China, and in 1931 he became a member of the Communist Party of China. He was engaged in underground revolutionary work and armed struggle in south part of Fujian Province. Afterwards, he led anti-Japanese activities in Hubei and Anhui provinces, and other places. During the War of Liberation, he was mainly engaged in financial and economic work in east China. From 1949 to 1952, he was Deputy Governor of the Fujian Provincial Government. In 1952, he was appointed Vice Mayor of Shanghai Municipality, in charge of finance, the economy and comprehensive planning. In 1953, he was appointed Vice Minister of Finance. From 1954 to 1961, he was dispatched to Viet Nam to help the Vietnamese government in post-war reconstruction and economic development. In 1961, he was appointed Vice Minister of the State Planning Commission of the People's Republic of China, and concurrently Director of the General Bureau of Foreign Economy Liaison. From June 1970 to January 1977, Fang Yi was Minister of Foreign Economy Liaison, and Secretary of the Party Leading Group.

(3) Lu Jiaxi (1915 --2001 )

Lu Jiaxi, a chemist, was CAS president from 1981 to 1987. Born in Xiamen (Amoy) City, Fujian Province. In 1934, he graduated from the Department of Chemistry, Xiamen University. In 1939, he obtained his doctorate at London University. Afterwards, he engaged in research work in the Department of Chemistry, California Institute of Technology, and obtained excellent results in combustion and explosion research. He returned to China in 1945, and successively held the posts of Professor of the Department of Chemistry, Xiamen University, President of the Institute of Science of the University and Assistant to the Chancellor of the University, then Vice Chancellor of Fuzhou University and Director of the Fujian Institute of Matter Structure of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. From 1937, he published a series of research papers on radiation chemistry and structural chemistry. After the 1960s, Lu Jiaxi did creative and pioneering work in the structural chemistry of transitional metal atomic clusters and the chemical simulation of nitrogen fixation by organisms. He joined the Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party in 1952, and then the Chinese Communist Party in 1956.

(4)Zhou Guangzhao (1929 - )

Zhou Guangzhao, a theoretical physicist, was CAS president from 1987 to 1997. A native of Changsha city, Hunan Province. He graduated from the Department of Physics, Tsinghua University in 1951, and as a postgraduate majoring in theoretical theory at Peking University in 1954. From 1957 to 1960, he was a middle-ranking research fellow at a Dubna Institute of Nuclear Research, Moscow in , former Soviet Union. In 1961, he returned to China. In August of 1979, he took up the post of Research Fellow at the Institute of Theoretical Physics of CAS, and from 1982 he was Deputy Director and then Director of the institute. He described the helical state amplitude of particles for the first time in the world in 1958, and developed its corresponding mathematical method. He was a leader in research in such areas as explosion physics, radiant flux mechanics, high-temperature and high-pressure physics, and computational mechanics. He made contributions to the theoretical design of China's first atomic bomb and first hydrogen bomb. He was elected Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1980.