The 7th "The Climate Science for Service Partnership China (CSSP China)" Annual Workshop was held from October 13th to October 15th, 2020. CSSP China programme, supported by the UK and Chinese governments through the UK-China Research and Innovation Partnership Fund (the Newton Fund in China), began in 2014. CSSP China builds on existing links between China Meteorological Administration (CMA), the Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IAP) at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and UK Met office. It makes possible the creation of enduring and sustainable partnerships with a variety of leading Chinese and UK institutes, through workshops, scientist exchanges, and joint research and development projects that strengthen science and innovation capacity.

Hosted by IAP and co-organized by the Hadley Center of UK Met office and the National Climate Center of CMA, this year’s annual workshop is a combination of on-site and on-line meeting. Nearly 160 researchers from Chinese and the UK institutions/universities involved in the CSSP China project, members of the CSSP China Project Science Review Panel, and Newton Foundation representatives participated in this workshop. The attendees are from the Hadley Centre of UK Met office, the University of Oxford, the University of Leeds, the University of Exeter, the University of Reading, the Imperial College, the University of Birmingham, and the United Kingdom University of Southampton, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Climate Center of CMA, Academy of Meteorological Sciences of CMA, Hubei Meteorological Bureau of CMA, Tsinghua University, Fudan University, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, South China University of Science and Technology, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics.

Prof. Sean MILTON, the Chief Scientist of CSSP China from the Hadley Centre of UK Met office; Prof. LU Riyu, Deputy Director of IAP; and Ms. Danae DHOLAKIA, the Minister Counsellor for Prosperity of British Embassy, delivered the opening remarks on the Plenary Sessions.

Sean MILTON summarized the achievements of CSSP China for its seven years running. CSSP China currently has 13 research projects in total, and has published more than 350 joint UK-China Research papers. LU Riyu spoke on behalf of the Chinese partner and congratulated on knowledge exchanges between Chinese and British communities of climate science. "A long-term strategic cooperation between the two parties has been established." Said LU. "In particular, the cooperative research of CSSP China project has effectively improved the seasonal forecasting of rainfall in China, especially the Yangtze River Basin."  Danae Dholakia spoke on behalf of the British Embassy and the Newton Foundation, praising CSSP-China has become the most productive project under the Newton Foundation's Climate Science Support Services Partnership (CSSP), and the results of CSSP China could be a highlight in the COP26 to be held in the UK next year.

During the three-day workshop, the UK and China scientists exchanged relevant research progress in the FY year of 2019-2020, focusing on 5 work packages(Monitoring, Attribution and Reanalysis; Global dynamics of climate variability and change; East Asian climate variability and extremes; Development of models and climate projection systems; and Climate Services).

The main results from the past year include: 1) Improved climate records of key variables (in situ & satellite), improved Chinese station data records, and promoted the evaluation of extreme climate events (High temperature, low temperature, flood and drought) detection and attribution research in China; 2) tropical dynamics and extratropical teleconnectionsm, Dynamics and probability of unprecedented events, Predictability on seasonal to decadal timescales, 2020 Yangtze River Basin Seasonal Forecast 3) carried out related research high-resolution climate prediction of tropical cyclones, heat waves in the north and south of China, Asian summer monsoon, risk assessment of China’s mountain torrents, climatic zone movement, west Research on the future prediction of the Pacific Subtropical High; 4) Improved the HadGEM-GC5/CMIP7 model on the ocean model and cloud microphysics model based on the HadGEM-GC5/CMIP7 model, using the GC3-PPE for model development and monsoon climate change. 5) Seasonal forecast of landfalling tropical cyclones on the east coast of China, climate services in the Yangtze River Basin in 2020 about heavy rain forecasts, typhoon landings, cities, food security and water supply, information on flood risk from TCs in Shanghai for urban development planning, and provided Air quality climate information and services to the public and advice on communicating uncertainty in climate services and at the same time further understood the needs of users for urban services. Effective climate services have been achieved in the Yangtze River Basin in 2020 heavy rain forecasts, typhoon landings, cities, food security and water supply.

In the closing session of the workshop, Prof. MILTON said the CSSP China project’s achievements in the past one year have completely exceeded expectations. Even with the outbreak of the COVID-19 globally, the cooperation between the two parties has not been interrupted. A series of works has been made in the East Asian extreme and climate prediction. The special issue of CSSP China mainly focus on “Climate Service” will soon be published in Journal Meteorological Research of the Chinese Meteorological Society.

The CSSP China Annual Workshop is held once a year and the first 6 CSSP-China Workshops were successful held by IAP, CMA, and the Met Office in Beijing, China (2014), Nanjing, China (2015), Exeter, UK (2016), Xi'an, China (2017), Shanghai, China (2018), and Edinburgh, UK (2019), respectively.