On September 16-21, Prof. Zhou Xueping, DG of IPP-CAAS, and Dr. Ulrich Kuhlmann, Executive Director of Global Operation, CABI, jointly led the MARA-CABI Joint Laboratory senior delegation and visited Pakistan. Fruitful and constructive meetings were held with Ministry of National Food Security & Research (MNFS&R) and CABI Central and Western Asia Centre (CWA) to discuss the priority areas and a coordination mechanism for cooperation, which also led to a tripartite agreement on Joint Collaboration Activities to action signed MoU between IPP-CAAS, MNFS&R and CABI.

During the visit, the Joint Laboratory delegation held consultation meetings with key officials and experts from CABI CWA, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), National Agricultural Research Center (NARC), Provincial ARCs, Barani Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) and Department of Plant Protection (DPP), respectively. The delegation also made an on-site visit to BARI field experimental station. During these meetings, Prof. Zhou introduced the organizational structure of IPP-CAAS and basic information in research teams, discipline strengths, funding and international cooperation as well as matured plant protection technologies and products. Representatives of Pakistani institutes reported the current R&D situation and country needs in the field of plant protection. Dr. Kuhlmann explained the cooperation between CABI, China and Pakistan, and stressed CABIs the bridge role in China-Pakistan cooperation. All the parties discussed and identified the priority areas for collaboration and the action plan, including 1) Capacity Building: to provide PhD Scholarship Opportunity, Post-doc Scholarship Opportunity and Talented Young Scientist Programme for Pakistan candidates, Short-term Individual Technical Training at IPP-CAAS and Chinese experts visit to Pakistan for specific training courses; 2) Technology Transfer: to conduct a Green Plant Protection Technology Road Show in Pakistan in April 2020 to showcase biological control technologies developed by IPP-CAAS or Chinese biological control manufacturers; and 3) Joint Research: to study Fall armyworm and invasive alien species management.

In the end of the visit, the delegation had meetings with HE Minister of MNFS&R Mr. Sahibzada Muhammad Mehboob Sultan，Federal Secretary Mr. Muhammad Hashim Popalzai, and Additional Secretary Mr. Muhammad Ayub Chaudhry, respectively. IPP-CAAS, MNFS&R and CABI exchanged opinions and reached consensus on the priority areas for collaboration and action plan, agreed on a coordination mechanism for cooperation and signed a tripartite agreement on joint collaboration activities. Prof. Zhou also planted a friendship tree at CABI CWA and received a Certificate from CABI.
This visit to Pakistan is a follow-up of the Cooperation Agreement on the Transboundary Pests Monitoring, Prevention and Control under the Belt and Road Initiative. It is conducive to understand the occurrence, spread and outbreak mechanism of transboundary crop pests between China and Pakistan, to research and develop new technologies for forecasting, monitoring and green control, to develop full-chain and integrated pest management technologies, and thereby realizing sustainable management of transboundary crop pests. It is highly expected that international cooperation between China and Pakistan in plant protection will promote social development of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, facilitate the integration and demonstration of green control technologies for major crop pests in China, and set the model for technology transfer to the other Belt and Road target countries.

The delegation members also included Prof. Chen Julian, Director of Dept. International Cooperation and Graduate Students, Prof. Wang Zhenying, Leading Scientist of Maize Insect Pests Research Group, Assoc. Prof. Yang Nianwan, Dept. of Biological Invasions, and Dr. Zhang Feng, Regional Director of CABI East Asia.