FAO Director-General visits China, reaffirming the importance of partnerships on Science and Innovation

China - QU Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), today wrapped up his visit to China, during which he visited farms with innovative agricultural practices, agriculture enterprises, as well as key research institutions, with the objective of strengthening partnerships and support knowledge sharing and exchanges with FAO Members to support the transformation of agrifood systems and ensure the Four Betters – better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind.

In Guandong Province

Near the major southern city of Guangzhou, the Director-General visited XAG, a smart agriculture technology company, dedicated to using robotics and AI technology to empower agriculture, helping farmers grow more with less in the face of rural aging populations, the climate crisis and water shortage.

The Director-General also visited the Haid Group, a major agricultural enterprise powered by science and technology, with over 40,000 employees in more than 600 branch companies and subsidiaries worldwide. The group’s activities cover feed, seedlings, animal healthcare and vaccines, intelligent farming, and food processing.

Among the other sites which the Director-General visited in Guangzhou was the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Guangzhou campus, where he toured the Brain & Metaverse Joint Innovation Lab. The campus aims to forge bridges across academic disciplines in complementarity with the university’s Clear Water Bay Campus in Hong Kong.

During the visit, the Director-General met with the President of the University, Prof Ni Mingxuan, during which they discussed the university’s core value, smart campus, green development, and the potential for collaboration with FAO in these areas, especially sustainable development, climate change, Green Cities, and youth leadership. The Director-General highlighted the importance of partnerships for FAO, including with academia, and emphasized that education was a lifelong and strategic investment to ensure a better future for all and that FAO’s global network was committed to providing the support needed.

The Director-General also visited the Agricultural Genomics Institute (AGIS) of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) in Shenzhen. The institute focuses on areas including agricultural genomics, agricultural biology, molecular breeding, agriculture and food metagenomes.  The visit included a look at the institution’s work on hybrid tomatoes, potatoes and rice, and a tour of the building of the Center for Genomics. During the visit, the Director-General emphasized that research needed to be in line with production and provide real solutions for the high-quality development of agriculture.

Also in Shenzhen, the Director-General visited the global headquarters of the BGI Group, which is a key player in life sciences, with an integrated development model in genomics of industry, university and research.

In Hainan Province

The Director-General visited the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS) in Haikou, where he reaffirmed the importance of FAO’s continuing partnership with CATAS to help improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in the tropics.

He expressed confidence that the renewal of the two organizations’ Memorandum of Understanding in 2026 would further strengthen their joint work. Qu described CATAS as an important national agricultural research institution in China, focusing on areas ranging from tropical fruits and bio-fuel crops to environmental protection, biotechnology, and agro-product quality standards.

During the visit, the Director-General highlighted the important need for research and innovation to be accessible to those who needed them most, in particular smallholder farmers, especially those in tropical climates, who remained at the heart of these efforts.

CATAS President Huang Sanwen warmly welcomed the Director-General and the delegation and highly appreciated FAO's great contribution to global agrifood systems transformation and sustainable development. President Huang reaffirmed CATAS’s commitment to the FAO Reference Center for Tropical Agriculture Research and Training, and to actively participating in FAO initiatives such as One Country One Priority Product (OCOP), as well as assisting FAO member countries with green production, processing, warehousing and logistics, thereby contributing to the Four Betters.

The Director-General highly appreciated CATAS’ achievements in tropical agricultural science and technology innovation and contribution in serving global tropical regions. He pointed out that CATAS should share its experiences and practices to increase the global role of tropical agricultural science and technology.

The CATAS researchers delivered presentations on breeding and application of tropical crop varieties, processing technologies and value chains of tropical agricultural products, as well as green control of pests and diseases of tropical crops. The delegation also visited the CATAS Tropical Crop Variety Resource Exhibition Garden.

The Director-General also visited the Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center, where Academician Yuan Longping, known as the Father of Hybrid Rice, had worked for many years. The Director-General noted the Center’s successful research results for hybrid rice and told the researchers it was crucial “to review the old and know the new”. He further encouraged them to continue in the spirit of Yuan Longping, working hard in support of global food security.

The FAO Delegation went on to visit the Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City, located in the western part of Sanya City. The site covers nearly 70 square kilometers and is divided into a South Breeding Science and Technology Sector, a Deep-sea Science and Technology Sector and a Science and Education City Sector. The Director-General encouraged the City to take advantage of the advanced equipment and policy advantages to promote global exchanges and cooperation in agriculture.

Another field visit in Hainan was to the National Nanfan Research Institute in Sanya, part of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS). Established in October 2019, the institute is engaged in scientific research activities such as breeding, seed industry innovation and services for crop breeding and proliferation in Hainan Province.

During the visit, the Director-General received an overview of the Institute’s work on agricultural science and technology innovation, breeding resource development and international cooperation. The Director-General and the delegation also toured the Key Laboratory of Innovative Utilization of Gene Editing and the National Nanfan Crop Phenotyping Research Facility.

During the visit, the Director-General interacted with visiting foreign experts and encouraged them to make full use of the resources and platforms provided by the Research Institute to contribute to global agricultural science and technology cooperation and innovation.

In Chongqing

At the Chongqing Animal Disease Prevention and Control Center, the Director-General gained insights into the center’s work providing veterinary technical support and promoting the development of animal husbandry. Its responsibilities include animal disease surveillance, detection, diagnosis, early warning, forecasting, laboratory diagnosis, epidemiological investigation and epidemic reports. He encouraged the Center to optimize the use of the state-of-the-art equipment and conditions to ensure impactful results and recommended that Chongqing share its experience with the global community in support of poverty alleviation.

In the Yubei District of Chongqing, the FAO delegation visited the smart seedling factory in Xinglong Town to learn about the development of local smart agriculture, and also visited the Jingang Village in Muer Town to see firsthand the modernization of the village.

Meeting with the Governor of Guangdong Province

During his visit to China, the FAO Director-General QU Dongyu met with high-level government representatives, including with Wang Weizhong, Governor of Guangdong Province, during which the discussions focused on the advanced technology and rich experience in agricultural breeding, agricultural machinery, aquaculture, and marine ranching, among others, across this large agricultural province, and on how to further strengthening cooperation between the Guangdong Province and FAO in the future.

The Director-General highlighted how the Guangdong Province had a number of comparative advantages, including climatic conditions, university resources, economic advantages, cultural heritage and a global network, and suggested that this rich experience in agricultural development be shared with other FAO Members with similar climatic conditions through training and exchanges, and that the development experience of its small and medium-sized cities be shared with other developing countries.

Meeting with leaders of Hainan Province

The Director-General also met with Feng Fei, Secretary of the Hainan Provincial Committee, and Liu Xiaoming, Governor of Hainan Province.

On behalf of Hainan Province, Feng Fei welcomed the Director-General and the delegation and expressed gratitude for FAO's longstanding support for Hainan in agricultural science and technology innovation and sustainable agricultural development. He emphasized that Hainan looked forward to deepening exchanges with FAO, leveraging its advantages in tropical agricultural technology and open policies, engaging in global cooperation in areas such as tropical crop industry, seed industry innovation, and quality and safety testing of tropical agricultural products, emphasizing that these efforts aimed to contribute to global food security and sustainable agricultural development.

The Director-General praised the achievements of the Hainan Province, noting that it possessed a solid technological foundation and unique open advantages in seed technology innovation and agricultural cooperation, making it a vibrant new hub with great potential and opportunities. The Director-General further reaffirmed FAO’s willingness to deepen its exchange and cooperation with Hainan, utilizing the open policies of the Hainan Free Trade Port to enhance technical exchanges and project collaborations between Hainan and tropical countries and regions worldwide in the field of tropical agricultural development.

Meeting with H.E. Han Jun, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China

The Director-General concluded his visit to China with a bilateral meeting with His Excellency Han Jun, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China on 8 January. The Minister welcomed the Director-General and provided a brief update on the domestic development of agricultural production and trade, smallholder farmer’s livelihood, and the impact of globalization on agriculture. The Minister stressed that the Ministry would continue to support FAO’s work and reforms.

The Director-General thanked the Minister for the update and commended his achievements in promoting China’s agricultural and rural development. He briefed the Minister on his mission to Guangdong, Hainan and Chongqing from 2 to 7 January, and emphasized the importance of international cooperation in food safety, tropical agricultural development, and agricultural capacity building.

The Director-General also informed the Minister of the celebration of FAO’s 80th anniversary in October 2025.

In addition, the Director-General and the Minister exchanged views on domestic and international agricultural trade, South-South Cooperation on agriculture, agricultural training, food safety and other topics.