On October 30th, the International Symposium on Plant Biosafety was held in Kunming, Yunnan province. Prof. Wu Kongming, President of CAAS, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a speech.

Prof. Wu stated that plant biosafety is a common problem and challenge facing the world. The Chinese government attaches great importance to plant biosafety, as President Xi Jinping has emphasized on multiple occasions the need to strengthen the construction of the national biosafety risk prevention and control system. Being the national strategic force and the national agricultural scientific research team, CAAS has continuously prioritized biosafety through establishing a comprehensive biosafety scientific research organization system, undertaking significant research tasks related to monitoring, early warning, and prevention and control of major animal and plant diseases as well as foreign biological invasions, among others. CAAS has also vigorously promoted the construction of think tanks to provide scientific and technological support for national biosafety risk prevention and government decision-making.

Wu pointed out that biosafety concerns the development interests of all humanity. Only through comprehensive global cooperation, scientific management, and the integrated application of technology can the world effectively address biosafety challenges. China is ready to work with various sides to establish sound cooperation mechanisms, deepen scientific and technological exchanges and mutual benefits, support international organizations in playing a better role, and tackle global biosafety issues with joint hands.

Daniel Elger, CEO of the CAB International (CABI); Wei Zhenglin, Deputy Director General, Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA); Li Yonghe, President of Yunnan Agricultural University; and Zhu Youyong, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, delivered speeches during the opening ceremony. They highly praised the significant role played by CAAS in the field of biosafety and its outstanding contributions, hoping that this platform would promote international cooperation in plant biosafety, enhancing the capabilities of countries to jointly respond to major biosafety threats, and building a biosafety community for plants.

During the conference, representatives from CAAS, CABI, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF), Lao PDR, and Yunnan Agricultural University held several bilateral meetings. The Institute of Plant Protection, CAAS and Yunnan Agricultural University donated products and monitoring equipment worth 880,000 and 330,000 CNY, respectively to MAF, Lao PDR, to help Laos cope with the threat of fall armyworm. Side events such as the 15th anniversary celebration of the MARA China-CABI Joint laboratory for Biosafety, the introduction of the blueprint for the International Alliance for Plant Protection Science and Technology Innovation, relevant academic seminars, poster displays, and exhibitions of new technologies and products for the control of plant pests were also organized.

More than 300 experts and scholars from 16 countries involved in biological control fields, including Germany, New Zealand, Italy, Laos, and Vietnam, as well as domestic promotion and research departments such as the National Agricultural Technology Extension and Service Center of China and Yunnan Agricultural University, attended the conference.