On April 12th, the signing ceremony for the renewal of the agreement of the China Australia Joint Centre for the Prevention and Management of Exotic Invasive Species (hereinafter referred to as the "China-Australia Centre") was held at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS). Dr. Lu Yanhui, Director General of IPPCAAS and Dr. Tanya Berger-Wolf, Executive Director of the Harry Butler Institute at Murdoch University, signed the agreement, representing the China and Australia sides, respectively. Prof. Wu Kongming, President of CAAS, Prof. Sun Tan, Vice President of CAAS, Prof. Andrew Deeks, Vice Chancellor and President of Murdoch University, Ms. Deb Langford, Minister Counselor for Agriculture at the Australian Embassy in Beijing, and Dr. Jin Ke, Director General of the Department of International Cooperation of CAAS, attended the signing ceremony. Leaders from both sides held discussions and exchanged views on further deepening agricultural science and technology cooperation.

President Wu Kongming emphasized the solid foundation of cooperation in agricultural science and technology between CAAS and Murdoch University. The China-Australia Centre jointly established by both sides has achieved fruitful outcomes. Prof. Wu suggested further deepening cooperation in existing areas of crop breeding and biosecurity, and expanding into new areas such as animal science, agricultural product processing, and agricultural resources and environment. He proposed to set a joint Doctoral program given the importance of talent development in providing strong scientific support for agricultural development in both countries. Prof. Deeks gave high regard to the partnership with CAAS and expressed willingness to strengthen and expand the comprehensive cooperation. He agreed that it is important to have more agricultural science and technology talents and advance innovation out of China-Australia agricultural science and technology cooperation.

This agreement signing is a renewal after the expiration of the establishment of the China-Australia Centre in 2015, with a validity period of five years. As the Chinese chapter of the China-Australia Centre, IPPCAAS has continuously strengthened cooperation with Murdoch University in the prevention and control of alien invasive species since 2015, achieving significant results in talent cultivation, project development, and platform construction. The two sides have jointly held the Third (2017) and Fourth (2023) International Congress on Biological Invasions and are planning to host the Fifth Congress in Perth, Western Australia, in 2025. After the signing ceremony, experts from the IPPCAAS, including Prof. Liu Wanxue and Prof. Yang Nianwan, held thorough discussions with Australian experts on continuing research cooperation in early warning monitoring, accurate detection, and green control technology development for alien invasive species. The renewal of the agreement of the China-Australia Centre will further consolidate the cooperation foundation between the two sides and promote technological innovation cooperation and the transfer and transformation of outcomes in the field of early warning and control of alien invasive species.