On 15 January, 2020, the FAO Representation in China invited representatives from Chinese government agencies, civil society, private sector, academia and media to hold the first national-level consultation meeting for the 35th session of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Asia and the Pacific Regional Conference (APRC-35) next month.

At the consultation meeting, Vincent Martin, FAO Representative in China and DPR Korea, introduced the APRC-35 and FAO’s Hand in Hand Initiative. Wu Lifeng, Division Director of the International Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China (MARA), reiterated the support of MARA to the work of FAO, and stated that MARA will listen to the suggestions of various parties to better prepare for attending APRC-35. Participants actively expressed their suggestions on APRC-35 and their expectations for future cooperation with FAO. The meeting was chaired by Zhang Zhongjun, Assistant Representative of the FAO Representation in China.

APRC-35 will be held in Thimphu, Bhutan from 17 to 20 February this year. It will cover a wide range of topics, including the state of food and agriculture, water scarcity and agricultural development, fisheries, digital agriculture, animal health and plant protection in the Asia-Pacific region. The FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific is held every two years to listen to the suggestions of member countries on FAO's work plan for the next two years. The last session was held in Fiji in 2018.