On October 10, the National Key Research and Development Program's "Intergovernmental International Scientific and Technological Innovation Cooperation" key special project — "New Sustainable Business and Production Models for Farmers and Rural Areas" — was launched in Xiamen. As a China-EU agricultural flagship project, this initiative is recommended by the Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Science and Technology and jointly led by the Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IUE, CAS) and the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (Germany). It brings together over thirty research institutions and universities from China and Europe to conduct collaborative research on agricultural issues.

It is reported that the total investment in this project amounts to approximately 80 million RMB. Focusing on the three core objectives of enhancing agricultural efficiency, revitalizing rural areas, and increasing farmers' income, the project conducts comprehensive, full-chain research covering technology, production, business assessment, and policy. It represents the project with the largest financial investment and the broadest scope of cooperation in China-EU scientific and technological collaboration so far this year.

Dai Gang, Director General of the Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Science and Technology of China, stated that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the EU, scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation have yielded fruitful results. Research on new sustainable business and production models for farmers and rural areas is a key area of China-EU agricultural cooperation. It can lay a solid foundation for China and the EU to jointly address common challenges such as agricultural green transformation, food security, and climate change, and to reach a comprehensive consensus. He expressed hope that the project undertaking units from both sides would implement the project with high quality, adhering to "flagship" standards, and strive to make it a model of China-EU cooperation.

Henri Delanghe, Deputy Director-General of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, expressed confidence that with the efforts of scientists from both sides, China and the EU will further deepen scientific and technological innovation cooperation and exchanges, and continue to yield fruitful results in cooperation within key areas and exchanges among young talents.

To ensure the implementation of the project, during the meeting, the Chinese and European project leaders signed a deepening cooperation agreement to further advance the construction of a collaborative innovation network. An advisory expert appointment ceremony was also held, establishing a multidisciplinary expert panel of 13 members specializing in fields such as agriculture, environment, economy, and policy to provide comprehensive, full-cycle guidance for the project. The launch event also featured exchange sessions including invited talks, bilateral seminars, and youth symposia, showcasing the latest collaborative progress made by both sides in the agricultural field.

To date, China has signed science and technology cooperation agreements with most European countries and established joint science and technology cooperation committee mechanisms. Focusing on hot topics such as sustainable agricultural development, the digital economy, and artificial intelligence, these efforts support innovation entities from both sides in conducting various forms of cooperation. As of September this year, China has signed 46 intergovernmental science and technology cooperation agreements with the EU and European countries, and established joint funding mechanisms with the EU and 29 European nations. These initiatives have facilitated exchanges among Chinese and European researchers and achieved many significant outcomes.