Bilateral meeting with H.E. Sun Shuxian, Vice Minister for Natural Resources of the People’s Republic of China

Nice, France - The FAO Directo-General, Dr Qu Dongyu, met with H.E. Sun Shuxian Vice Minister for Natural Resources of the People’s Republic of China, on the sidelines of the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France.

The Minister appreciated the meeting with the FAO Director-General and provided an overview of the key functions of the newly created Ministry within the Chinese government, including strategic sectors such as mineral resources and ecology. The Minister further highlighted the need to strengthen cooperation between China and FAO in the area of ​​training and capacity development, as well as using FAO’s global network to share the Chinese experience with developing countries.

The Director General welcomed the Minister and commended the Government of China’s for the establishment of this important Ministry and congratulated the Minister on his appointment. The Director-General recognized the extensive experience of the Chinese government in the fisheries sector and referred to his own broad experience in ocean and coastal management due to various positions he previously held.

The Director-General referred to the existing MoU between China and the FAO, which covered a number of key areas of mutual interest and looked forward to further priority areas being identified where joint activities could be strengthened, taking into consideration the experience and expertise of both sides. In particular, the Director-General highlighted key issues such as floating stations and geoparks.

The pair agreed to continue strengthening collaboration and to expand joint projects.