Basic research is the basis of knowledge-based, innovation-driven economies. As part of the inaugural conference of the joint series “Science for Future” of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the two academies agreed upon the “Beijing Declaration on Basic Science”. In this declaration, they commit to a long-term and close cooperation across national and cultural borders and across scientific disciplines. Together they will search for answers to questions that affect the future of humankind. Both academies emphasize the importance of science for society and its responsibility to contribute to a fact-based dialogue in society.