It is by no means arbitrary to choose agricultural development and food security as the theme of this year’s China-ASEAN cooperation. The combined population of China and ASEAN countries exceeds 2 billion, accounting for about a quarter of the world’s total population.

Agriculture is the backbone industry of China and most ASEAN countries, and the main source of income for hundreds of millions of ordinary people. Agricultural development and food security are not only related to the stability and prosperity of the country, but also to the well-being of every family and every person.

However, agricultural development and food security have never been more severely tested than today. Devastating effects can easily be caused by extreme weather, regional conflicts, the COVID-19 pandemic, etc. at any time.

The latest Food Price Index published by the Food and Agriculture Organization was still at a high level of 126.9.

Against this backdrop, it is undoubtedly of strong relevance for China and ASEAN to strengthen cooperation on agricultural development and food security to jointly address the challenges.

In fact, China and ASEAN have always attached importance to agricultural cooperation. Over the past 30-plus years, the two sides have signed more than 40 agricultural cooperation agreements and established eight agricultural-cooperation mechanisms.

ASEAN has become China’s number-one agricultural trade partner and the most important agricultural investment destination. Moreover, China and ASEAN countries have jointly implemented more than 300 agricultural technology cooperation projects covering a wide range of fields such as crop cultivation, animal disease prevention and control and standardized production of fruits and vegetables.

On this basis, we hope through the series of activities that will be held during the ASEAN-China Year of Agricultural Development and Food Security Cooperation cooperation between the two sides can be advanced to a higher level.

We will work together to ensure regional food security, strengthen policy communication and coordination, explore agricultural development paths that suit our own characteristics and enhance the resilience of agriculture and food security. In the next five years, China will continue to financially contribute to the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve to provide rice to ASEAN countries and carry out supporting activities, in order to improve the food security guarantee system in the region.

We will jointly promote the green and digital transformation of agriculture; promote greater synergy between the Action Plan on China-ASEAN Green Agriculture and the ASEAN Guidelines on Sustainable Agriculture; deepen cooperation in digital agriculture, smart agriculture, etc.; and collaborate on green agricultural research and innovation, in order to enhance the green, circular and sustainable development of agriculture in the region.

We will work together to expand trade in agricultural products. China is actively implementing President Xi’s solemn commitment that China will import US$150 billion worth of agricultural products from ASEAN in the next five years.

In 2022, US$36.98 billion worth of agricultural products were imported from ASEAN to China, accounting for 15.7 percent of China’s total agricultural imports over the same period.

With the full implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) and the steady advancement of negotiations on a new round of upgrade of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, the above-mentioned commitment will surely be achieved at an early date, benefiting more farmers in ASEAN countries.

Hopefully, China-ASEAN agricultural cooperation could embrace new opportunities, helping create a new life of abundance and prosperity for every farmer who works hard to achieve their dreams.

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The writer is Chinese Ambassador to ASEAN.