From May 5 to 11, a delegation led by Dr. Zhang Jie, Deputy Director General of the Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (IPPCAAS), visited the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) of Australia, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), and the University of Melbourne. The visit aimed to further promote in-depth cooperation in the fields of plant biosafety, biological control, and soil health.

Building upon the cooperation agreement signed in Beijing in December 2024, the high-level delegation from IPPCAAS paid a return visit to the Plant Biosecurity and Science Services Division of DAFF in Canberra and co-hosted a China-Australia bilateral seminar. Dr. Peter Finnin, Director of the Biosecurity Plant and Science Services Division, attended the opening ceremony and extended a warm welcome to the Chinese delegation. More than 20 renowned experts in the field of plant biosecurity from Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, and other regions participated in the seminar.DDG Zhang delivered a comprehensive overview of the recent collaboration between IPPCAAS and Australian governmental agencies, research institutes, and universities. He reviewed the achievements in joint laboratory development, collaborative research, and talent training, and proposed ideas for deepening future cooperation, including suggested areas, modalities, and cooperation frameworks in plant biosecurity. Prof. Yan Dongdong, Associate Profs. Liu Chenxi, and Xian Xiaoqing from the delegation gave thematic presentations on research and application of soil fumigation, pest biological control technologies, and invasive species risk assessment methodologies respectively. Following the seminar, both sides reached important consensus on further cooperation in three major areas: the establishment of invasive species risk prediction and early warning systems, the R&D of intelligent diagnostics and monitoring technologies, and the application of emergency response and green control technologies. A detailed annual exchange plan was also developed.

During the visit, the IPPCAAS delegation visited CSIRO’s Brisbane Center and held in-depth exchanges with Dr. Dean Brookes, Director of the Biological Control Laboratory, and Academician Andy Sheppard, among others. The discussions focused on invasive species and biological control, and the next steps for the ongoing China-Australia joint project on biological control involving IPPCAAS.In Melbourne, the delegation attended the 2025 International Symposium on Promoting Green Agriculture Development held at the University of Melbourne, where they delivered keynote speeches and participated in panel discussions. They also met with Dr. Jeremy Cottrell, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, and reached several key agreements on joint talent development, scientific research cooperation, and platform building.

This visit not only consolidated the traditional areas of cooperation between China and Australia in invasive species risk assessment and biological control, but also successfully expanded into new fields such as plant and soil health management. Both sides reached broad consensus on joint research in key technologies, data sharing, and talent development. The outcomes of this visit will help drive innovation in plant biosafety and provide strong scientific and technological support for deepening China-Australia agricultural science and technology cooperation, and for safeguarding global food security, biosecurity, and ecological sustainability.