Li Zhong, Ph.D., Head of the International Cooperation Programs and Assistant Research Professor at the Center for International Agricultural Research (CIAR) of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), with a research focus on China agricultural enterprise overseas responsible investment and international agricultural cooperation strategy research. He is also the China Representative at the World Food Forum.

Since joining the Center for International Agricultural Research in 2018, he has mainly been responsible for managing and monitoring international cooperation projects, China-Aid training programs, including the South-South Cooperation project of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the Green Agriculture Development project of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and the Agricultural Technology project of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. He has published a monograph titled "Case Studies on Responsible Investment by Chinese Agricultural Enterprises Overseas" and co-authored the "World Agriculture Series – Agriculture in North Africa." and several other books; published five core journal articles in both Chinese and English. Li Zhong holds a dual bachelor's degree with Summa Cum Laude in economics from the University of Colorado and China Agricultural University, master's degree in International Trade and Investment Policy from George Washington University, and Ph.D. in Management from Central University of Finance and Economics in China. In addition to his native Chinese, Li Zhong is certicated Chinese-English Interpreter, with intermediate proficiency in Korean and conversational proficiency in Spanish.