China, Arab States Collaborate to Promote High-Quality Modern Agriculture

Yinchuan - To deepen collaboration in agriculture technology, trade, investment, and talent exchange with countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the conference on high-quality development and cooperation of modern agriculture during the Sixth China-Arab States Expo was held on September 22 in Yinchuan, the capital of Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

The conference focused on implementing the outcomes of the inaugural China-Arab States Summit and signed 34 agriculture investment, trade, and cooperation projects under the framework of the BRI and the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum (CASCF), amounting to 3.432 billion RMB(about $0.47 billion).

Among these projects, eight are international cooperation initiatives, and the remaining 26 projects encompass domestic investment, trade, and cooperation, including collaborations in modern agricultural machinery technology training and the introduction of new crop and livestock varieties. These international projects will further deepen bilateral exchanges and cooperation in agriculture with countries participating in the BRI.

Benin to strengthen agricultural cooperation with China

Simon Pierre Adovelande, the Ambassador of Benin to China, highlighted the significance of agriculture in Benin's government action plan for 2021-2026. He said cooperation between China and Benin in the agricultural sector aligns with the Dakar Action Plan of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

"In recent years, agricultural cooperation between our two countries has focused on strengthened support from China across the entire agro-food production chain, from cultivation to marketing, capacity building for agronomists, and the opening of the Chinese market to Benin's agricultural products, including pineapples, soybeans, cashews, and others," said the Ambassador of Benin to China.

Argentina highlights growing trade with China

Oscar Ernesto Solis, Agricultural Counselor of the Consulate General of the Argentine Republic in Shanghai, acknowledged the enduring diplomatic relationship between China and Argentina, which spanned over 50 years. He emphasized the steady growth and stability of trade relations between the two nations.

"The China-Arab States Expo is a platform for economic and trade cooperation, as well as investment exchange between China and Arab countries within the framework of the BRI. I would like to highlight that our country, Argentina, has adhered to and is a signatory to this initiative."

Discussions on multilateral agricultural cooperation

The forum also witnessed insightful keynote speeches by prominent figures from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in China, and the National Bank of Pakistan's Beijing Representative Office. 

They discussed aspects of global food security, agricultural investment, economic and trade cooperation between China and Arab states, and the deepening of multilateral agricultural cooperation.

Other distinguished guests, such as Tang Zhong, professor at the School of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development at Renmin University of China, and Jia Yan, Head of South-South Cooperation in the United Nations World Food Program China Office, discussed pressing issues related to international food security, the current landscape of agricultural product trade, and strategies to become stronger nations in agriculture and trade on a global scale.

The dialogue provided valuable insights into challenges to global food security. It offered new perspectives and directions for jointly building the BRI, deepening agricultural cooperation, and collectively promoting food security in the new era.