On November 6th, the 16th Belt and Road Eco-Agriculture and Food Safety Forum was successfully held in Shanghai as a concurrent event of the 6th China International Import Expo. The forum was hosted by the State Administration for Market Regulation and co-organized by the Shanghai Municipal Administration for Market Regulation, the Development Research Center of the State Administration for Market Regulation, and the Secretariat of the Belt and Road Eco-Agriculture and Food Safety Forum. Chen Jie, Vice Mayor of Shanghai Municipal People’s Government, attended the opening ceremony of the forum and delivered a speech.
Chen Jie, Vice Mayor of Shanghai Municipal People’s Government, attended the opening ceremony of the forum and delivered a speech
Esteemed Vice Commissioner Tian Shihong, Vice Governor Zhang Min and BaTeEr, esteemed Secretary-General Zhang Ming, Mr. Zhang Zhongjun, and all distinguished guests and friends,
Good morning to everyone! As we mark the 10th anniversary of President Xi Jinping’s proposal of the Belt and Road Initiative, we gather here in Shanghai to participate in this forum, demonstrating our collective commitment to ecological agriculture and food safety along the Belt and Road. First and foremost, on behalf of the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government, I would like to extend our warmest congratulations on the convening of this forum and a heartfelt welcome to all the guests and friends present today.
Strengthening international cooperation in ecological agriculture and food safety to achieve coordinated development and shared security is a common aspiration and urgent desire of countries along the Belt and Road. As an open international metropolis, Shanghai steadfastly implements President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road cooperative initiatives and consistently adheres to the ‘four strictest’ requirements, thus promoting the high-quality development of the food industry. Firstly, our regulatory system has become more comprehensive. We have reformed and perfected the mechanism for controlling agricultural products at their source, fully implemented internationally advanced food production management systems, promoted the social application of bio-diesel made from kitchen waste oil, achieved full traceability of key foods and agricultural products, and fortified every line of defense from the farm to the dining table. Secondly, the quality and safety of food have significantly improved. We vigorously develop green ecological agriculture, continuously implement actions to enhance food quality and safety, and actively establish ‘trustworthy supermarkets’ and ‘reliable restaurants.’ The food quality and safety have notably improved, with public satisfaction reaching a historic high of 90 points. Thirdly, the level of openness continues to rise. We fully implement the notification and commitment system for low-risk food production licenses, vigorously carry out reforms to facilitate licensing for chain restaurants, and innovate new experiences in seamlessly integrating research and development with production, attracting more corporate headquarters and R&D centers to Shanghai.
Looking to the future, the demand for ecological agriculture and food from the people of all countries will continue to grow, and the requirements for food safety will become increasingly stringent. We are willing to fully leverage Shanghai’s advantages and, together with everyone, share new experiences, research new technologies, and promote new developments. We will comprehensively upgrade the intelligent regulatory system, continuously innovate digital application scenarios for food safety traceability, and persistently advance regional collaboration and international cooperation in information traceability for food and agricultural products. We will comprehensively promote the development of green agriculture, actively engage in joint R&D of ecological agricultural technologies, and jointly strengthen the new track of urban modern agriculture. We will fully build Shanghai into a global gastronomic city, supporting domestic and foreign enterprises to share the developmental opportunities in Shanghai with high-level institutional supply.
Distinguished guests, focusing on the theme of ‘Deepening the Belt and Road Cooperation in Agriculture and Food: Jointly Creating a Better Life for Humanity,’ this forum gathers representatives from the politics, business, and academia of the Belt and Road countries and regions. We believe that through the exchange of ideas and experiences, we will further enhance the global consensus on food safety, deepen international cooperation in production supervision technology, and promote higher-quality development in ecological agriculture and food industries. Shanghai will always adhere to its city character of ‘openness, innovation, and inclusiveness,’ and warmly welcomes outstanding food enterprises from home and abroad to invest and thrive in Shanghai.
Finally, I wish this forum great success and hope that all guests have a productive and enjoyable time in Shanghai. Thank you, everyone!
The theme of the forum is, ‘Deepening the Belt and Road Cooperation in Agriculture and Food: Jointly Creating a Better Life for Humanity.’ Leaders from the State Administration for Market Regulation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, National Health Commission, General Administration of Customs, as well as leaders from Shanghai, Henan, Hainan, and other provincial governments, representatives of provincial market supervision departments, representatives of relevant United Nations organizations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and embassies of South Africa, the Netherlands, Colombia, Sri Lanka, Bulgaria, Tanzania, Senegal, among others, along with over 400 delegates from domestic and international enterprises, participated in the forum. Guests collectively deliberated on agricultural cooperation and food industry development, contributing insights and strategies for the high-quality development of agriculture and food industries in the Belt and Road Initiative, highlighting the role of the forum as a platform for policy interpretation.
2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the proposal of the Belt and Road Initiative and the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Eco-Agriculture and Food Safety Forum. Over the past decade, the forum has been successfully held for 15 sessions within the framework of the National Food Safety Publicity Week and the China International Import Expo. The forum has solidly promoted high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road, extensively conducted exchanges and cooperation in the agricultural and food industries, played a significant role in the development and safety of agricultural food industries in the countries along the route, and facilitated smooth international trade among the Belt and Road countries.
