The senior leaders of both CSCO and American clinical society of oncology (ASCO) reached the agreement of recognition of reciprocal membership in May, 2003 after rounds of negotiation.
Academic exchanges and profound friendship between CSCO and ASCO can be traced back as early as April 1997 when the chief executive officer and the standing vice-chairman of the ASCO, Professor John R. Durant, having heard of the establishment of CSCO, represented ASCO and congratulated via telegram expressing enthusiastically the wish of strengthened exchanges and cooperation between the two associations. Henceforth, frequent exchanges and collaboration have always been maintained between the two associations. ASCO delegates were especially impressed by the bonded unity, practicability, vigorous learning atmosphere among the clinical oncologists, old and young alike, during their presence at the 6th CSCO annual Meeting in 2002. The ASCO delegates praised highly the organizing skills, academic level, and extensive representation of CSCO. Friendly partnership was formally established under the principle of “academic orientation, full-scale collaboration, mutual benefits, and bilateral exchange”. Strengthening ties through bilateral exchange and collaboration were seen over the past year. Reciprocal membership agreement was finally reached after great efforts from leaders of both associations, and CSCO, as established previously with European Clinical Society of Oncology (ESMO) and Japanese Clinical Society of Oncology (JSCO), was recognized by ASCO as one of the major academic organizations.
Professor Sun Yan, chairman and director of the CSCO committee, stated this symbolic success of CSCO integrated into the internationally advanced clinical oncology academic organization would greatly elevate the academic status of the clinical oncology community in China, signifying enhanced international collaboration in the future after participation to WTO, bringing wider prospect for the development of anti-cancer effort.
