From November 12 to 14, the Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (IPPCAAS), the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs-CABI Joint Laboratory for Biosafety, and CABI co-hosted the China-CABI Project Development Workshop in Delémont, Switzerland. The event brought together over 30 leaders and experts, including Dr. Ulrich Kuhlmann, Executive Director Global Operations at CABI; Dr. Hariet Hinz, Global Director, Invasive Species at CABI; Dr. Wade Jenner, Director of CABI’s Swiss Centre; Dr. Zhang Feng, Director of CABI East and Southeast Asia Centre; Dr. Zhang Jie, Deputy Director General of IPPCAAS; Dr. Lin Kejian, Director General of the Institute of Grassland Research, CAAS; Dr. Zhang Yong, Director General of the Institute of Plant Protection and Agro-products Safety, AAAS; Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences’ Institute of Plant Protection and Quality Standards; Dr. Li Chengyun, Honorary Dean of the College of Plant Protection at Yunnan Agricultural University; and Dr. Zheng Li, Professor of the Institute of Plant Protection at Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

Dr. Kuhlmann, on behalf of CABI, welcomed the Chinese delegation and introduced CABI’s core activities and recent achievements. He emphasized the historical significance of the 2008 Chinese delegation visit to CABI’s Swiss Centre, which laid the foundation for 16 years of progress in the Joint Laboratory. He also highlighted the importance of this workshop in defining the future direction of the laboratory. Representing the Chinese delegation, Dr. Zhang Jie expressed gratitude for CABI’s efforts in organizing the workshop and reviewed the progress achieved after this year’s technical and steering committee meetings. He noted that this was the largest delegation China had ever sent, with 15 representatives from the Joint Laboratory (Beijing) and its four sub-centers. Both sides emphasized the importance of reaching a consensus on the Joint Laboratory’s future goals and directions during this workshop.

Experts from both sides engaged in in-depth discussions on key topics, including pesticide reduction and risk management, invasive alien species and transboundary pest monitoring and control, application and promotion of biopesticides and biocontrol products, and grassland ecosystem restoration, etc. The workshop resulted in the drafting of 10 project proposals, laying a solid foundation for strengthening China-CABI collaboration in plant biosafety, expanding partnerships with Belt and Road countries, and advancing international cooperation strategies for knowledge exchange and capacity building.