On the morning of January 30, Dr. Yuan Xinhua, Deputy Director of Fisheries and Aquaculture Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), visited FFRC for research and exchange. Xu Pao, DG of FFRC, held an in-depth discussion on the capacity building of the FAO Reference Center and the in-depth implementation of the FAO “Hand in Hand” initiative. The meeting was presided over by Zhu Jian, member of the Party Committee of FFRC and Chief of the Division of Research. All the staff of the Department of International Cooperation and Education participated in the activities.

Director Xu Pao warmly welcomed Deputy Director Yuan Xinhua and thanked FAO for its long-term strong support to FFRC. Director Xu said that 2023 is the first year to implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. As the FAO Reference Centre for Aquaculture and Inland Fisheries Research and Training, FFRC is willing to fully coordinate and give full play to its technical advantages, firmly implement the construction of the “B&R” Initiative, and actively respond to the FAO “Hand in Hand” initiative, create a bright future for the development of global fisheries.

Deputy Director Yuan Xinhua focused on the profound connotation of FAO’s “Four Better” and the new hot spots, new directions and new models in the field of fisheries in the world. He said that aquaculture plays a key role in the FAO “Hand in Hand” initiative, and he hoped to deepen cooperation with FFRC in the future in the fields of research and extension of new aquatic species, innovation of aquatic products value chain, and jointly promote the “One Country, One Product” global action plan, to make unremitting efforts to accelerate the realization of FAO’s “Four Better” vision and promote the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda 2030.

Jing Xiaojun, Chief of the Sept. of International Cooperation and Education, introduced the achievements of FFRC as the FAO Reference Center in the past two years, including creating new teams, contributing new wisdom, fostering new momentum, incubating new achievements, building new cooperation, forming new friendship and highlighting new strength. Subsequently, the two sides also had in-depth exchanges on the capacity building of the reference center and the way to give full play to its advantages and implement the FAO “Hand in Hand” initiative with high quality.