BEIJING -- Chinese authorities have made public a work plan to strengthen mathematical science research.

The plan was jointly made by the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Education, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the National Natural Science Foundation.

It stated that mathematics has become an important source of support for aeronautics and astronautics, biological medicine, information, energy, oceanography and artificial intelligence (AI).

The plan called for continuously supporting basic mathematical science, promoting research into applied mathematics, and pushing forward high level exchange and cooperation between domestic and foreign institutes.

It also underlined the importance of research into mathematics and interdisciplinary subjects such as science and engineering computing, mathematical theory and method of big data and AI, as well as computer mathematics.