On March 26, the 17th Steering Committee Meeting of the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA)-CABI Joint Laboratory for Biosafety was held in Beijing. The meeting was attended by Ms. Guo Naying, Deputy Director General of the Department of International Cooperation, MARA; Sun Tan, Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS); Dr. Ulrich Kuhlmann, Executive Director of Global Operations at CABI; Zhang Qiaoqiao, Director of Member Countries at CABI; and Dr. Hariet Hinz, Global Director of Invasive Species at CABI.

Sun Tan stated that CABI is one of CAAS’s most important international cooperation partners. Under the guidance of MARA, the Institute of Plant Protection, CAAS (IPPCAAS) has taken the lead in coordinating and supporting the China side of the Joint Laboratory. Through 17 years of joint efforts, the laboratory has become an important international cooperation platform in the field of agricultural scientific research. He emphasized that CAAS is willing to further deepen its strategic scientific and technological cooperation with CABI, promote the Joint Laboratory as a more open and innovative platform, and work together to advance the joint prevention and control of crop pests and diseases, as well as the promotion of green plant protection technologies, thereby contributing to global food security.

Guo Naying, Dr. Ulrich Kuhlmann, and other attendees highly recognized the significant achievements of the Joint Laboratory since its establishment in 2008, particularly in scientific and technological innovation, talent development, and South-South cooperation. Guo Naying noted that this year marks the 30th anniversary of China’s accession to CABI, making it an opportune moment to comprehensively review and summarize the achievements and experiences of the past 30 years of cooperation, carry forward the successful practices, and open a new chapter for the next 30 years of collaboration.

Key representatives from the Department of International Cooperation, CAAS, IPPCAAS, and the Institute of Grassland Research, CAAS attended the meeting.