the field visit to Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province. Hangzhou hosts the headquarters of the Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences (ZAAS), which has major responsibility for research on two of ICARDA's mandate crops--barley and faba bean--and thus has bilateral agreements with ICARDA. The Vice President of ZAAS, Dr Chen Jian-Ping, and the barley and faba bean researchers briefed Prof. Dr El-Beltagy on the Academy's work, particularly in the field of barley and faba bean improvement. After the meeting Prof. Dr El-Beltagy visited the laboratories and field experiments. Dr Lang Li-juan, Associate Professor of Faba Bean Breeding, who has long-standing research contacts with ICARDA, proudly showed the progress that she and her colleagues have made in improving the faba bean crop for Zhejiang Province. She thanked Prof. El-Beltagy for the support ICARDA has provided in the past for the autumn-sown faba bean research network in China.
      She hoped that the collaboration between ZAAS and ICARDA will grow further in the future. Professor Liu, the National Coordinator for barley research in China, also expressed similar hope for barley.

rof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy, ICARDA Director General, was in China for the first ever China-CGIAR Forum held by the Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China in Beijing from 10 to 12 November.
        The Director General gave a presentation on Current and Potential China-ICARDA Collaboration, covering ICARDA's long relationship with the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS). This has focused on the improvement of faba bean, barley, lentil, chickpea and forage legumes, in line with the agreement between CAAS and ICARDA signed in 1986. In future this will be extended to sustainable management of natural resources and sustainable increases in productivity of dry-area farming systems.
      The objective of the Forum, as outlined by H.E. The Minister of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China, was to discuss how the CGIAR might assist China in expanding its agricultural research and achieve sustainable development in agriculture; review current China-CGIAR collaboration and identify  areas for future cooperation; expand contacts, and develop recommendations to the Chinese Government on relevant future strategies.

Prof. Dr El-Beltagy (center) in Hangzhou, China. With him are (left) Dr Jin Shengrong, Director of the Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences (ZAAS), Hangzhou, and Dr Xie Yinwn, Director of Zhejiang University.

       The CGIAR was represented at the Forum by Dr Ismail Serageldin, Chairman, Dr Alexander von der Osten, Executive Secretary, and Directors General or senior managers from virtually all the 16 centers. Chinese participants included senior officials of the Ministry of Agriculture; President, Vice-President and senior scientists from CAAS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Forestry Sciences, Chinese Academy of Fisheries Sciences; President and senior scientists of 17 Provincial Academies of Agricultural Sciences;

and Presidents and senior scientists of National Chinese Agricultural University in Beijing and the Agricultural Universities of Central China, Nanjing, Northwest and Shen Yang. Plenary sessions covered: an overview of agricultural research systems and priorities; current and potential cooperation, and opportunities and challenges for developing strong partnership in the 21st century. The Forum's activities in Beijing ended with a call by the participants on the Vice Premier of the State Council of China.
      An important part of the
China-CGIAR Forum activity was