Huang Sanwen, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and president of CATAS, noted the conference's goal as a unified effort among global tropical agricultural scientists to collaborate on technological breakthroughs.
"We aim to boost tropical agriculture productivity through scientific innovation, tackling food security issues in tropical regions, and contributing to global poverty reduction and health enhancement while providing technological support for the accelerated establishment of a community with a shared future for humanity," he said.
The conference also marked the signing of collaborative agreements between CATAS and eight institutions, alongside a donation of 23,500 date palm seedlings from the United Arab Emirates to China, commemorating the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the UAE and China.
Hu Wei, director of the coconut research institute and date palm research center at CATAS, outlined plans to advance date palm cultivation in multiple Chinese regions including Hainan, Yunnan and Fujian provinces, expedite the development of the China-UAE Friendship Center, establish a modern joint date palm agriculture laboratory, and infuse fresh momentum into the global date palm industry's high-quality growth.
