The Nature Publishing Group has signed a contract, covering a wide range of healthcare services, with the National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases (NCCD).

The agreement includes training the next generation of medical workers and organizing academic conferences.

The group is familiar to scientists in the Asia-Pacific region as a publisher of scientific and medical information in print and online.

It is the first time it has cooperated with China's research institute, according to group head Annette Thomas.

"China has witnessed a growth of influence in science fields worldwide in past decades. Now, about 14 percent of all global scientific research is contributed by China. In comparison, the percentage in the 1980s was only one," said Thomas.

Supported by Beijing's Fuwai Hospital, the country's leading center in cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment, NCCD has been at the forefront of cardiovascular research.

Hu Shengshou, president of the hospital, said the publishing group will help strengthen the impact of NCCD's scientific research. "Such impact is not only on society, but also people's well-being," he said.