Wu Kongming, President of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), met with Ph.D. Zhi-Jie Zheng, Director of the China Office of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and his delegation on Mar. 13, 2023. They exchanged views on furthering cooperation in agricultural S&T in Africa and jointly promoting and launching the International Big Science Program, among other topics.     

President Wu noted that CAAS and the Gates Foundation have maintained good cooperation for a long time. The two sides have carried out fruitful cooperation in areas such as the development and promotion of rice varieties and the establishment of monitoring and early warning systems for pests and diseases. In addition, both have also helped address hunger and poverty in Africa and other less-developed regions.  

CAAS President Wu Kongming stressed that CAAS and the Gates Foundation share the same goals of eliminating hunger and safeguarding global food security. He hoped the two sides could intensify cooperation in the following areas in the future:  

(1) planning new cooperative projects for Africa, based on the existing sound foundation; 

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(2) pressing ahead with the introduction and promotion of practical agricultural technologies and good practices in Africa;  

(3) international cooperation platforms and capacity building; and 

(4) working to launch the initiative of the International Big Science Program;  

With such efforts, CAAS and the Gates Foundation will contribute to global food security and agricultural development, and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.     

Ph.D. Zhi-Jie Zheng agreed with President Wu, saying that food security and climate change are the key focus of the Gates Foundation’s work in Africa. He expressed hope that going forward, the two sides would work on agricultural research and innovation, particularly cooperation in joint labs, higher-caliber personnel training, and international big science program, setting a good example for global cooperation in agricultural S&T.   

The meeting was attended by Zhu Qinghua, Deputy Director of the China Office of the Gates Foundation, and chiefs of the Department of International Cooperation and the Institute of Crop Sciences of CAAS.