Beijing, China
February 4, 2010
Agricultural Minister Han Changfu, on behalf of the Chinese Government signed the hosting agreement with Dr. Pamela K. Anderson, Director General of the International Potato Center (CIP), to officially launch the CIP-China Center for Asia and the Pacific (CCCAP) in Beijing.
CIP was established in 1971 and headquartered in the Capital of Peru, Lima. CIP is a member of the alliance of the 15 centers of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). It seeks to reduce poverty and achieve food security on a sustained basis in developing countries through scientific research and related activities on potato, sweet potato, and other root and tuber crops. Besides, CIP is also responsible for global and regional R&D programmes on potatoes. At the moment, CIP is adjusting its recourse allocation to prioritize the regional and state capacity in research to establish regional research centers in appropriate countries so as to promote the joint development of research and production in neighboring regions and countries. The establishment of CCCAP is a major content of the CIP's strategy.
China is a major producer of potatoes and sweet potatoes. Since in 1985, up the approval of the Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and CIP has conducted three decades of exchanges and cooperation under the agreement of technological cooperation, evidently improving China's joint research capacity, personnel training and exchanges, and platform construction. China has led the world in terms of genetic materials and breeding of potatoes and sweet potatoes, testing, control and prevention of disease and pests, field management, and processing. Thanks to large-scale extension of breeding materials and technologies of CIP, manifest achievement in social and economic development has been made in China. Apart from that, more than 60 training courses have been held in China covering 2,000 trainees. Over 60 person-times of Chinese experts have been sponsored to attend symposiums abroad. Over 30 Master's Degree graduates and PhD graduates have been cultivated thanks to the cooperation, enhancing China's research capacity in potatoes and sweet potatoes.
The establishment of CCCAP will further China's cooperation with CIP and promote collaboration with other 14 member centers under CGIAR, generating new opportunities for potato and sweet potato production in China and Asia-Pacific region and contributing to world food security.
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