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BEIJING, June 27 (APP):Two new international bio-breeding laboratories were officially launched in Aksu, Xinjiang, last week, marking a significant step in strengthening Belt and Road cooperation in agricultural science and technology. The labs aim to foster cross-border research collaboration and promote innovation in crop breeding along the Silk Road.
The launch took place during a cotton-focused academic forum held in southern Xinjiang on June 16, which brought together over 280 experts, scholars, entrepreneurs, and industry professionals from BRI countries. Discussions centered on the latest advancements in cotton bio-breeding and the development of the seed industry, with a shared goal of enhancing international exchange and industrial upgrading, China Economic Net (CEN) reported on Friday.
One of the newly inaugurated labs is an international joint research platform. Anchored at Xinjiang Agricultural University, it collaborates with six universities — including the Russian State Agrarian University and the University of Agriculture Faisalabad in Pakistan — as well as two Chinese seed companies. The lab covers multiple disciplines such as crop science, grassland science, and plant protection. It follows a model of “Chinese technology output with foreign resource integration,” providing unique advantages in germplasm sharing and cross-border breeding innovation.
The second lab, co-established by Xinjiang Agricultural University and a leading seed company, focusing on integrating academic research with industrial application. Backed by facilities like a supercomputing research center and a crop genetic improvement base, the lab is set to become a key innovation hub for bio-breeding in arid regions of Northwest China and a driver of high-quality agricultural development under the Belt and Road Initiative.