The Chinese Academy of Sciences is the national academy for natural sciences and the highest consultancy for science and technology of the People's Republic of China. It is the world's largest research organization, with 100 research institutes, 2 universities, 69 thousand full-time employees, and 79 thousand graduate students.

Fang Yi was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, diplomat, and high-ranking politician. As a military leader, he participated in the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War. After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, he served as Vice Governor of Fujian, Vice Mayor of Shanghai, economic representative at the Chinese embassy in North Vietnam, President of the Chinese Academy of Science, and Vice Premier of China. He was also a member of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party.