On 27 May 2017, Dr. Ulrich KUHLMANN, co-director of Chinese Ministry of Agriculture (MoA)-CABI Joint Laboratory for Bio-safety and executive director, Global Operations of CABI, was honored with the International Friends Award from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) in Beijing at the Summit on Agricultural Science and Technology Development to mark the 60th Anniversary of the founding of CAAS. The award was set to commend foreign experts making significant contributions to CAAS’s agricultural science and technology development through international cooperation. Only four international experts received this award, which was presented by Mr. YU Kangzhen, Vice Minister of MoA, Dr. TANG Huajun, the president of CAAS, and Dr. WU Kongming, vice president of CAAS.

This award is an outstanding recognition of the great achievements obtained the MoA-CABI Joint Lab established at the Institute of Plant Protection (IPP) of CAAS in 2008. With strong support from MoA, CAAS and CABI, the Joint Lab has made significant progress in facilitating scientific exchanges, developing international collaborative projects, and organising international conferences and technological training. Up to now, more than 10 international collaborative projects with a total funding of 90 million CNY and over 50 national and international partners have been implemented through the Joint Lab platform, including those larger projects funded by EU FP7, EuropeAid and Newton Fund, etc. The Joint Lab has become an open platform for agricultural research collaboration and technology transfer and a centre of excellence for training and scientific exchanges. Through the Joint Lab and CABI functioning as a bridge providing links to other CABI member countries, IPP-CAAS has been actively involved in implementing CAAS’s Centre for International Agricultural Research programme and promoting China Agriculture Going-Global, as well as exploring possible establishment of a European Laboratory at CABI in Switzerland, with the aim to promote international cooperation in green plant protection technology between China and other countries along the Belt and Road (B&R). Built on common interests and mutual benefits, such a B&R Plant Protection Cooperation Plan advocated by IPP-CAAS will contribute to global agricultural sustainable development, facilitation of trade, food security, food safety, and poverty alleviation.

The summit brought together over 180 senior delegates from 18 B&R countries as well as 7 international organizations and 30 Chinese agricultural research institutions and universities, to discuss important measures for the development of agricultural science and technology within the framework of the B&R initiative. Dr. QIU Dewen, deputy director general of IPP-CAAS and Dr. KUHLMANN delivered keynote presentations entitled The Research and Application of Green Prevention and Control on Crop Pests and Diseases in China and Using Plantwise Data to Assess the Uptake of Biological Control Products by Extension Service in Selected Belt and Road Countries, respectively.