On Nov.28, the inauguration ceremony of Sino-Dutch Joint Research Center for Greenhouse Horticulture (Beijing) was held in the Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture (IEDA), CAAS. Vice President Li Jinxiang and Mr. Martin olde Monnikhof, Agricultural Counselor of the Netherlands in China attended and addressed the ceremony. Prof. Dong Hongmin, Deputy Director General of IEDA, CAAS and Dr. Ernst van den Ende, Managing Director of Plant Science Group, Wageningen UR signed the MOU on behalf of respective institution. The ceremony was hosted by Prof. Zhang Huijie, Deputy Director General of Department of International Cooperation, CAAS and invited more than 30 scientists and scholars from the Netherlands and China to witness the event.

Vice President Li Jinxiang pointed out that greenhouse horticulture is an import agricultural industry in China at the context of meeting challenges of food security and safety and deepening structural reform of agricultural supply-side. There is urgent demand for advanced knowledge and technology when the industry is going through the modern transformation and upgrading. He hopes the new center will bring together excellent scientists from Netherlands and China to work together, to introduce and localize the good experience of the Netherlands, and contribute the development and upgrading of the greenhouse horticulture industry in China and other countries in the world.

Mr. Martin Olde Monnikhof said the Netherlands and China shares the same vision in coping with the climate change, safeguarding food security and securing the sustainable development of agriculture. Netherlands enjoys worldwide reputation for its horticulture industry. He hopes the newly established Sino-Dutch Joint Research Center for Greenhouse Horticulture (Beijing) will drive the cooperation step forward in this area and make greater contribution to the development of greenhouse horticulture in the world.

In the meeting, Dr. Ruud van den Bulk, Manager Business Development of Plant Science Group of Wageningen UR and Prof. Yang Qichang, leading scientist of Innovation Team on the Protected Horticulture Engineering made introduction to the latest development and research achievements in the greenhouse horticulture in Netherlands and China.

The Sino-Dutch Joint Research Center for Greenhouse Horticulture (Beijing) Center will be a platform to bridge the efforts of China and the Netherlands in the greenhouse horticulture, with a view to add new momentum to the technology advancement, industrial development and capacity building in this area. The innovation Team on the Protected Horticulture Engineering, IEDA of CAAS and the Wageningen UR will coordinate the efforts and actions of research institutes and business in respective country.