On Dec. 20th, Hon. Mahinda Amaraweera, Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries (API) of Sri Lanka and Prof. Rosen Pereira, chairman of the Coconut Development Authority (CDA) with their delegation, visited and exchanged in Coconut Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CRICATAS), companied by Prof. Liu Guodao who is the chairman of Chinese Society for Tropical Crops (CSTC), Mr. Sun Chengcai who is the director of Foreign Affairs Office of Hainan Province, and Prof. Ye Jianqiu who is the secretary of the Party Committee of CRICATAS.
On the morning, with alternately introduction by Mr. Sun Chengcai, Prof. Ye Jianqiu and directors of research departments of CRICATAS, Hon. Mahinda Amaraweera visited the oil palm, coconut, areca, tea oil camellia, and date palm sections of National Tropical Palm Germplasm Resources Nursery, followed by the delegation. With deeply communication and interaction, the both sides exchanged the situation of tropical crops cultivation technology and germplasm resources in each other country during visiting.
On the afternoon’s symposium, Prof. Zhao Songlin introduced the situation about Chinese Society for Tropical Crops, who is an executive vice chairman and secretary general of CSTC. And Prof. Ye Jianqiu welcomed warmly Hon. Mahinda Amaraweera to the CRICATAS, and introduced the progress in innovation and international cooperation of oil palm, coconut, areca, tea oil camellia and date palm, respectively, and talked about direction of cooperating with Sri Lanka in the future. After that, Prof. Rosen Pereira introduced the coconut development of IDA and expected the further industrial R&D. Hon. Mahinda Amaraweera expressed gratitude for the warm hospitality provided by CRICATAS, and hoped to increase the quantity of coconuts exported to China, and to strengthen cooperation research and personnel visits among coconut, areca, and oil palm. Prof. Liu Guodao proposed a cooperation plan for the coconut industry in Sri Lanka, stating that the CSTC is willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with relevant units in Sri Lanka in tropical agricultural technology, and jointly promote the high-quality development of the tropical agricultural industry between China and Sri Lanka. Briefly, both sides would take a series of collaboration in research and demonstration exchange, high-yield cultivation techniques, and efficient understory cultivation techniques, especially germplasm resource of areca.
Finally, Prof. Liu Guodao granted Memorial Cup to Hon. Mahinda Amaraweera; Prof. Ye Jianqiu presented "Honorary Professor" Certificate to Prof. Rosen Pereira; Prof. Liu Guodao and Prof. Zhao Songlin awarded Hon. Mahinda Amaraweera And Prof. Rosen Pereira with letter of appointment of special advisor, respectively.
After the symposium, Mahinda Amaraweera with delegation plant the coconut tree named “the friendship tree” in CRI, symbolizing the root of cooperative relationship between China and Sri Lanka have been growing up.
After that, the delegation of Sri Lanka had been invited by Prof. Ye Jianqiu to enjoy billiard game at staff activity room. By the way of "the little ball moves the big ball", the bridge of China-Sri Lanka in tropical agricultural win-win partnership and diplomatic friendship will become more and more better.
