On March 23-24, the 15th Steering Committee Meeting of the of MARA-CABI Joint Laboratory for Bio-Safety and the 5th Annual Meeting of MARA-CABI European Laboratory was successfully held at the CABI Switzerland Center in Delémont, Switzerland, co-hosted by the Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (IPPCAAS), the CABI East and Southeast Asia Center, and the CABI Switzerland Center. Peng Tingjun, Deputy Director General of the International Cooperation Department of MARA; Jin Ke, Director General of the Department of International Cooperation, CAAS; Zhang Jie, Deputy Director General of IPPCAAS; Zhou Xueping, Director of the State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests; Ulrich Kuhlmann, Executive Director Global Operations at CABI,   Qiaoqiao Zhang, Membership Director; Hariet Hinz, Global Director Invasive; Wade Jenner, Director of CABI Switzerland Center; Zhang Feng, Director of CABI East and Southeast Asia Center, among other senior leaders attended the meeting. Jin Ke presided over the opening ceremony.

Peng Tingjun and Ulrich Kuhlmann delivered opening speeches, acknowledging the fruitful collaboration between MARA of China and CABI. They emphasized the significant achievements in international cooperation project development, research and innovation team building, academic exchanges and technical trainings, as well as South-South cooperation since the establishment of the joint laboratory in 2008. Peng Tingjun expressed his hope to continue leveraging the joint laboratory and European laboratory platforms, focusing on addressing China’s agricultural technology gaps and global common challenges. He emphasized the need to accelerate agricultural technology innovation, broaden cooperation fields, and contribute to the development of an innovation-driven agriculture, the construction of a strong agricultural nation, and the advancement of modernization in agriculture and rural areas through high-quality open collaboration and high-level international coordinated innovation.

Zhou Xueping and Ulrich Kuhlmann jointly presented the summary of work in 2022 and the work plan and budget for 2023. The Joint Steering Committee reviewed and approved the reports, updated the members of the steering committee from both sides. Peng Tingjun was unanimously elected as the rotating chair of the steering committee for 2023. The meeting focused on significant strategic matters for the development of the joint laboratory, including the preparation plan for the 15th anniversary and the international symposium on plant biosafety, the declaration work for the 2023 China International Science and Technology Cooperation Award, project development and expansion, and nine other different topics. The meeting also followed up on the implementation of the minutes of the 14th Steering Committee Meeting. In recent years, responding to work requirements, the joint laboratory has continuously expanded its cooperation partners and deepened cooperation between research institutions and localities, with distinctive sub-centers having been established in Yunnan, Anhui, and Shandong. Representatives from each sub-center participated in the report and discussion sessions online for the first time at this meeting. In the future, the joint laboratory will continue to play a bridging role, actively expand cooperation with partners in Asia and Africa, and continuously promote agricultural “going global”, the “Belt and Road” initiative, and South-South cooperation.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Steering Committee Meetings in the last three years had been held virtually online. This year marks a great time to resume the face-to-face meetings and strengthen in-person communications and exchanges, so as to strengthening the construction of the joint laboratory and expanding China-CABI cooperation in the field of agricultural biosafety. Over twenty representatives from the International Cooperation Department of MARA, the Department of International Cooperation of CAAS, IPPCAAS, CABI Switzerland Center, and the East and Southeast Asia Center attended the meeting.