Department of International Cooperation
Ministry of Agriculture
January 30, 2012
As 2012 marks the 40th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Germany, Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Germany Federal Ministry for Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection hosted activities commemorating the 30th Anniversary of German-Chinese Scientific and Technical Cooperation in Agricultural Research on January 20 in Berlin, Germany.
Vice Minister Zhang Yuxiang and Dr. Gerd Müller, Parliamentary State Secretary to Germany Federal Minister for Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection, gave speeches at the opening ceremony. 70 government officials and scientists from the two sides attended the celebration.
Following the opening ceremony, a seminar with the theme of “ensuring food security through science and technology cooperation” was held. Experts from CAAS, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, and Scientific Committee of Germany Federal Ministry for Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection delivered keynote presentations at the seminar.
Under the China-German Protocol on Scientific and Technical Cooperation in Agricultural Research signed in 1981, German-Chinese Expert Group on Scientific and Technical Cooperation in Agricultural Research was set up, and the cooperation mechanism was established. So far, the two sides have alternately held 20 expert group meetings. Bilateral cooperation has been strengthened and yielded fruitful results.
Zhang stated that both China and German are large agricultural countries, and enjoy complementarities in agriculture. Growing agricultural cooperation between China and German would serve the interests of both countries and promote global agricultural development.
Thanks to the commitment of both governments over the years, the two sides have conducted cooperation in a wide range of areas. The number of research institutes and experts engaging in the cooperation grows gradually. Ways and mechanisms for cooperation are more innovative. Levels and progress of cooperation continue to improve. These achievements would create an important platform to spur agricultural technology cooperation between China and German.
Zhang emphasized that closer cooperation would meet the expectation of agricultural scientists from both sides, drive progress in agricultural science and technology, and promote agricultural development of the two countries.
Zhang hoped that agricultural scientists from the two sides could work together more closely in bio-technology, food safety, biomass energy, and environmental resources to conduct joint research on major subjects to solve key technical problems hindering agricultural growth of both countries.
To show progress of the cooperation, the two sides hosted an exhibition at International Green Week, and released Collection of the Results of German-Chinese Scientific and Technical Cooperation in Agricultural Research (Chinese/English) which included 112 joint results in the past 30 years.
Meanwhile, the two sides also held the 21st meeting of German-Chinese Expert Group on Scientific and Technical Cooperation in Agricultural Research to discuss and determine key priorities for cooperation from 2012 to 2013.