Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science Making a Strong Contribution to Collaboration on LinkTADs Project

Based on the signed Memorandum of Understanding, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) has strongly contributed to LinkTADs project activities through its two veterinary institutes (HVRI and SHVRI). Activities include workshops, short visits and establishment of collaborative research programs.

The first WP4 workshop was held by SHVRI and HVRI in Shanghai in April 2014. The first progress meeting and the second WP4 workshop was again hosted by SHVRI, together with HVRI and FAO in October 2014. A highlight has been the establishment by HVRI and SVA of a joint veterinary microbiology laboratory in September 2014.

Another valuable outcome includes the collaborative research project among SHVRI, CIRAD and SVA entitled ‘Eco-epidemiology and risk analysis of genotype shift of Japanese encephalitis virus in pigs and mosquitos’.

This three year project has been approved for research funding by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China.

Through LinkTADs, communication among CAAS, EU and FAO has also been strengthened. In May 2015, FAO China was invited to participate and present the LinkTADs project during the annual EU-China taskforce meeting held in CAAS campus.This was followed by visit by Dr JinKe, DDG, Department of International Cooperation of CAAS to FAO representative Mr Percy Misika at the FAO China office. During these meetings, the importance of collaboration between EU and CAAS on the area of transboundary animal diseases was emphasized and CAAS will continue to support LinkTADs and other relevant collaborative activities between EU and China.