Minister Han Changfu met with Christian Schmidt, Minister of Food and Agriculture of the Federal Republic of Germany in Beijing on March 24, 2015. The two sides exchanged views on strengthening bilateral agricultural cooperation.
Minister Han spoke highly of the efforts made by Mr. Schmidt to promote the bilateral agricultural cooperation and pointed out that strengthening the agricultural cooperation benefits both parties and China would like to further promote the cooperation on the basis of mutual benefit and win-win result. Minister Han emphasized that both parties need to enhance instructions and coordination in a bid to make the Sino-German Agricultural Center play an effective role in promoting the cooperation to a higher level and implement the already agreed demonstration projects as soon as possible. Regarding the priorities of the cooperation for the next stage, Minister Han noted that China is now at an important stage featuring "transforming development patterns and adjusting structure', thus China and Germany can conduct cooperation in such areas as the managerial and development mode of agriculture, intensive and sustainable agricultural production, soil fertility maintenance and soil borne disease control.
Mr. Schmidt totally agreed with Minister Han and proposed that the two parties co-organize the Sino-German Agricultural Week in autumn this year. Minister Han agreed on this proposal.
After the meeting, Minister Han and Mr. Schmidt signed the Joint Declaration of Intent between the Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China and the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture of the Federal Republic of Germany on a German-Sino Crop Production and Agrotechnology Demonstration Center and the Letter of Intent regarding the Implementation of the Capability Building Program for the Young Practical Agricultural Talents and witnessed the signing of the Implementation Agreement on Sino-German Agricultural Center. The two ministers inaugurated the Sino-German Agricultural Center together.