China-U.S. Strategic Agriculture Innovation Dialogue held in Washington
DATE:2015-09-28 SOURCE:Information Office, MOA
The China-U.S. Strategic Agriculture Innovation Dialogue (SAID) was held in Washington, DC on Sept. 24, 2015. Minster Han Changfu, Deputy Trade Negotiator Zhang Xiangchen, and their U.S. counterparts Secretary Tom Vilsack and Trade Representative Michael Froman, attended and addressed the Dialogue.
Minister Han noted that China is the top producer, consumer and importer of agricultural products while U.S. is the top exporter in the world. In agriculture, the two countries enjoy increasingly overlapping interests and steady cooperation, and are highly complementary to each other. The purpose of SAID is to implement the consensus reached by the heads of two states on building a new type of major country relations and on enhancing strategic cooperation in agriculture. It offers a platform for all-round communication for government departments, research institutes and enterprises from the two countries. The Dialogue is aimed at increasing mutual understanding and incentives for cooperation, injecting positive energy for mutually-beneficial and win-win cooperation and expanding cooperation in depth and width.
U.S. Secretary Tom Vilsack indicated that innovation boosts the increase in productivity and creates opportunities for economic growth. In addition, it plays a crucial role in dealing with challenges faced by agriculture, food security, adaptation of agriculture to climate change and sustainability.
Taking "enhance agricultural innovation, ensure food security, promote sustainable development" as its theme, the SAID covers a wide range of topics, including big data and its innovative application in agriculture, environment management and sustainable development, breeding technologies, agricultural investment and financing, province-state cooperation in agriculture and biotechnology.
Both sides agreed that innovation is crucial for food security and agricultural sustainability. The mechanism of SAID will promote agricultural development in both countries and even the whole world.
MOA Chief Economist Mr. Bi Meijia, USDA Under Secretary Mr. Michael T. Scuse, and USTR Chief Agricultural Negotiator Ambassador Darci Vetter, also attended the SAID, and they were joined by over 120 delegates from government departments, institutes and enterprises of the two countries.
