A High-level Delegation, led by Dr. Jingyuan Xia, the Secretary General of the Secretariat, International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), visited IPP on 23 June, 2016. The Delegation was composed of 14 delegates from IPPC’s Phytosanitary Measures Bureau and the Finance Committee. Academician Kongming Wu, the Vice President of CAAS, DG Dongxin Feng, the Department of the International Cooperation of CAAS, Director Xiaodong Feng, the Division of Plant Quarantine, the National Agricultural Technology Extension and Service Center (NATESC), Mr. Bujiang Zhang, the Party Secretary of IPP and Dr. Dewen Qiu, the DDG of IPP, were present at the meeting. DG Dongxin Feng hosted the meeting.

Vice President Wu expressed first the warm welcome to IPPC Delegation and then briefly introduced the research progress achieved in CAAS and IPP, the challenges faced and the opportunities and the implementation of the Science and Technology Innovation Programme and its motivational role in the collaborative innovation in CAAS. He emphasized that CAAS would take the opportunity of the Belt and Road Initiative (the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative) launched by the Government, push forward the establishment of the Center for International Agricultural Research and enhance the communication and cooperation with countries along the Belt and Road. He hoped to strengthen the collaboration in the areas of plant protection between CAAS and IPPC in future. Secretary General Xia appreciated the achievements in scientific research obtained in CAAS and IPP. He introduced briefly the major functions of IPPC and the constitution of the organization and recalled the effective collaborations between IPPC and China in the areas of plant protection. He expressed the intention to deepen the collaborations so as to make contributions to promote the development in the global plant protection.

Then, DDG Qiu talked on Plant Protection in China. The talk expounded systematically the major crop diseases and insect pests and the current status in China, the importance of plant protection science and technology in the control of crop diseases and insect pests and China’s plan for zero growth of pesticide use. Dr. Nianwan Yang talked on “The Belt and Road Plant Protection initiative”. She introduced the establishment of the Belt and Road Plant Protection International Consortium (B&R-PPIC) headed by IPP and bilateral and multi-lateral cooperation agreements signed with domestic and international research institutions, universities and international organizations. The participants showed keen interest in the talks. The Delegation, accompanied by DDG Qiu, visited the State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests after the meeting.

China Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) is the ‘window’ ministry for implementation of IPPC. As the technique support institution for IPPC Implementation Committee of MOA, IPP provides technical supports and consultation in risk assessment of pests, control of pests in plant and plant products, prevention of their spread to other parts of the world, esp. to the regions under threat. The visit paid by the High-level Delegation of IPPC increased the mutual understanding and is of significant to promotion of in-depth collaboration in future.

Dr. Zhenying Wang, the Director of the Department of Agricultural Insects, and Dr. Xingfu Jiang of the Department, Dr. Aocheng Cao, the Director of the Department of Pesticide Sciences, Dr. Xuenong Xu, the Deputy Director of the Department of Biological Control, Drs. Fanghao Wan and Nianwan Yang, the Department of Invasive Biology, Dr. Xiaohui Liu, the Deputy Director of the Department of Weed Science, Rodent Biology and Rangeland Protection, Dr. Julian Chen, the Director of the Department of International Cooperation and Graduate Student and Dr. Lixia Wang, the Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation and Graduate Student were present at the meeting.