BEIJING, 25 April 2023 – With the goal to strengthen and showcase agriculture and food security as key pillars of cooperation, ASEAN and China jointly launched the ASEAN-China Year of Agricultural Development and Food Security Cooperation with an opening ceremony held on 25 April.
The event was hosted by China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and attended by representatives from ASEAN Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry and ASEAN Secretariat, as well as foreign dignitaries from ASEAN Member States.
Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong underscored the need for ASEAN and China to continue working together in deepening agriculture and market integration, strengthening policy coordination and communication, and promoting technical exchanges on agriculture research and development to cope with global challenges and safeguard food security.
ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General for Economic Community Satvinder Singh emphasised that the event is an opportune time for ASEAN and China to take stock of achievement and engagements and to explore ways to further strengthen the strategic cooperation. He conveyed key priorities that ASEAN would like to advance further with China including the implementation of the ASEAN guidelines on sustainable agriculture, decarbonisation of the agriculture sector, implementation of responsible agricultural investments, application of digital technologies and nature-based solutions, and promotion of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture.
The opening ceremony was followed by ASEAN-China Digital Agriculture Forum, World Expo on Digital Agriculture, and International Vegetable Sci-tech Fair held in Weifang, Shandong Province on 26-27 April.
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