Federal Minister for National Food Security & Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain along with the Ambassador of China, H.E. Jiang Zaidong visited Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi (PMAS-AAUR), on December 18, 2024.

The visit focused on strengthening agricultural cooperation between Pakistan & China and to visit the newly established "China-Pakistan Research and Development Center for Modern Agriculture and Water Efficient Technologies" with the collaboration of National Center of Efficient Irrigation Engineering and Technology Research-Xinjiang (NCEIXJ), based on Xinjiang Tianye (Group) Co., Ltd. one of China’s top 500 enterprises.

During the visit, the honorable guests were warmly welcomed by PMAS-AAUR Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Muhammad Naeem and Mr. Shahid Nazir, Director General Green Pakistan Initiative (GPI), followed by a briefing on the overall progress of the China-Pakistan Research and Development Center for Modern Agriculture and Water Efficient Technologies.

The Federal Minister and the Chinese Ambassador inspected key facilities, including exhibition hall, training center, laboratories, and the sprinkler irrigation demonstration site.

A bilateral meeting was also held to discuss ongoing agricultural collaboration, in which University Vice Chancellor, Federal Minister and the Chinese Ambassador were also present. Key topics included the progress of training 1,000 agricultural professionals and expanding contract farming initiatives in Pakistan by Chinese firms were discussed. Deeply strengthen the exchange and cooperation in the field of agricultural water-saving and modern agricultural technologies.

On the occasion, Rana Tanveer Hussain appreciated the efforts of the China-Pakistan collaboration in modernizing Pakistan agricultural sector and expressed optimism about further strengthening this partnership.

H.E. Jiang Zaidong appreciated the steps taken by the PMAS-AAUR and Xinjiang Tianye (Group) Co., Ltd for promotion of research in agriculture. He also emphasized the importance of collaborative research in the agriculture and food sectors between Pakistan and China. The Chinese Ambassador said that the establishment of this center will not open a new chapter for efficient and water-saving agriculture in Pakistan but will also be helpful to uplift the agriculture sector of Pakistan to a green, efficient and sustainable direction.

Earlier, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Naeem welcomed the guests and thanked the GPI and China NCEIXJ, (based on Xinjiang Tianye (Group) Co., Ltd.) for supporting PMAS-AAUR by establishing this center at campus. At the end, the Vice Chancellor presented souvenirs to the Federal Minister and the Chinese Ambassador.