On 10-12 September 2015, the International Symposium on the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road (the Belt and Road or B&R) Plant Protection International Consortium (B&R-PPIC) and Key Collaboration Programme Development was held in Changchun, Jilin Province, China. The Symposium was hosted by the China Society of Plant Protection (CSPP), and co-organized by Chinese MOA-CABI Joint Laboratory for Bio-safety, Institute of Plant Protection of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (IPP-CAAS), Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, FAO Asia-Pacific Forest Invasive Species Network, South China Agricultural University, Biological Invasion Branch of CSPP, Centre for Management of Invasive Alien Species of Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Sino-Australia Joint Centre for Management of Invasive Alien Species. Totally, more than 140 participants from China, Russia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Malaysia, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Turkey, Vietnam, India, Switzerland and Australia attended this impressive event. The Symposium themed as ‘B&R Green and Sustainable Agriculture, Food Security, Biological and Ecological Safety’, and aimed at establishing the Belt and Road Plant Protection International Consortium (B&R-PPIC) and to develop a Key International Collaboration Programme on Full-Chain Green Plant Protection Technology.

The Symposium included four sessions: plenary presentation, B&R country reports, successful plant protection case-study and group discussion. Six experts in plant protection and agriculture from B&R countries spoke at plenary session. Fourteen delegatesintroducedthe agricultural development and the plant protection demands representing their countries. Six people, on behalf of the attendedinternational organizations, universities and research institutions, shared their successful experiences during the case-study session. The group discussion focused on the ‘Silk Road Economic Belt’ and the ‘21st-Century Maritime Silk Road’.

The participants reached the consensus on establishing B&R-PPIC finally. The objective, the structure and the function of the B&R-PPIC were fully discussed. The participants agreed that the B&R-PPIC would play a crucial role in developing plan of major B&R International Key Corporation Projects on Full-Chain Green Plant Protection Technology. The partnership statement on B&R-PPIC was signed within the 32 initiator institutions from China, the 12 attending countries and the international organizations. The Statement will promote the international collaboration on B&R Vision & Action in the future. B&R initiative accords with the fundamental interests of related countries and serves as a new mode for positive exploration of international collaboration and global governance. All of the participants regarded the Symposium as ‘overwhelming success’ and announced the B&R-PPIC Changchun Declaration. In addition, the B&R-PPIC will provide scientific support and services to the ‘Development Plan for B&R Key International Collaboration Programme’.

The Belt and Road run through Asia, Europe and Africa, connecting the vibrant East Asia economic circle at one end and the developed European economic circle at the other, encompassing countries with huge potential for development. The Initiative in terms of green and sustainable agricultural development and safe international tradecan help promote economic prosperity along the Belt and Road and strengthen exchanges and multilateral understanding among different civilizations. It also offers multilateral benefits in agricultural technology.

Meeting hall of the Symposium

Group photo of the participants

 
 
Director General Zhou Xueping made the opening speech (upper left); Deputy Director General Zhang Huijie made the opening speech (upper right); Dr. Ulrich Kuhlmann was answering questions in front of his poster (lower left) and President Chen Wanquan made the opening speech (lower right)

Prof. Wan Fanghao was in a media interview