By Han Lu

BEIJING, Apr. 25 (China Economic Net) - The fourth meeting of the China-Pakistan Joint Working Group on Agriculture was convened in Beijing on April 22. The meeting was co-chaired by senior officials from the Department of International Cooperation of China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the Federal Secretary of Pakistan's Ministry of National Food Security and Research.

The meeting primarily reviewed the progress of the first batch of agricultural projects under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), approved the second batch of proposed projects, and announced the establishment of the China-Pakistan Agricultural Technology Working Group. Both sides reached a consensus on establishing joint laboratories and signing a Memorandum of Understanding on tropical agriculture cooperation in near future. Other topics of discussion included deepening collaboration in fisheries, agricultural mechanization, and related fields.

Approximately 60 representatives from the agricultural authorities, research institutes, local governments, enterprises, and embassies of both countries participated in the meeting through both online and offline channels.

With strong support from the agricultural departments and diplomatic missions of both nations, two projects - Sichuan Litong's chili pepper cultivation demonstration base and Guangxi Royal Dairy's China-Pakistan buffalo breeding and dairy processing initiative - have delivered remarkable results as part of the first phase of CPEC agricultural cooperation. Both projects have been lauded by Chinese and Pakistani authorities and are regarded as flagship examples of bilateral agricultural collaboration.

Looking ahead, four additional high-performing partners-Qingfa Hesheng of Wuhan, Jinghua Seed Industry of Xinjiang, Runber of Shandong, and the Crop Science Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences - have joined the second phase of CPEC agricultural projects. In post-meeting interviews, company representatives expressed optimism about jointly cultivating more “small yet refined” model projects. These efforts are expected to inject fresh momentum into the high-quality development of the second phase of CPEC and contribute to a new chapter in building the China-Pakistan community with a shared future.