A fourth session of the China-US joint working group meeting was recently convened to discuss the cooperation in the field of agricultural science and technology. The meeting reviewed the accomplishments achieved since the third session of the working group meeting held in July 2003, namely 1) finalized the draft agreement on establishing four joint R&D centers (the pastureland ecosystem restoration center under the natural resources management initiative, the soil conservation and environmental protection center, the wheat quality and associated pathology center under the bioagricultural technology initiative, and the agrifoods processing center under the agrifoods processing initiative, in addition to an accord on plant genetic resources; 2) a range of workshops and seminars were held. In July 2004, a China-US high level forum was held in California to discuss agrifoods processing. In September 2005, a China-US high level forum was held in Beijing to discuss agrifoods processing and food safety. In September 2005, a China-US workshop on plant genome was held in US; 3) a series of training events were staged. Two three-week long training courses were offered on natural resources management at the Northwestern Agriculture and Forestry University in Yanglin, China. A number of small technical symposiums in other fields were also arranged; 4) more scientists exchanges between the two countries. Consistent exchanges of visits (60 person/time in total) have been realized in 6 fields, with detailed communications on concrete projects; 5) cooperation projects have achieved substantive progresses. For examples, a project to develop environment friendly technology for soy bean oil extraction, and a project to develop infrared technology for agrifoods processing. A doctorate student has been dispatched to study agrifoods processing in the US. Eight doctorate students have been selected to be the recipients of Cochran Fellowship for 2004, and they will soon head for the US.
LI Xueyong, Chinese Vice-Minister of Science and Technology, and Joseph Jen, Under Secretary of the US Department of Agriculture, inked five annexes to the China-US Protocol on Cooperation in the Field of Agricultural Science and Technology. The signed documents involve in the establishment of a range of research centers on agrifoods processing, pastureland ecosystem restoration, soil conservation and environmental protection, and wheat quality and associated pathology. |
