Agricultural Parallel Session of the 8th Hongqiao International Economic Forum Convenes
13 November 2025, China: The agricultural parallel session of the 8th Hongqiao International Economic Forum was held in Shanghai on November 5. The session, titled “Resilience and Innovation: High-Quality International Agricultural Trade amid External Uncertainties” was co-hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) and the Ministry of Commerce. Zhang Zhili, Vice Minister of MARA, attended the session and delivered remarks.
Vice Minister Zhang noted that international agro-trade is navigating a turbulent sea full of uncertainties. Protectionist “headwinds” have disrupted the order of global agro-trade; geopolitical “cold fronts” have hindered the free flow of agri-products; frequent extreme weather events have shaken the foundation of agro-trade; and market speculation has influenced expectations within the sector. Vice Minister Zhang said that MARA is committed to working with all countries to take practical actions and unswervingly advance the high-quality development of international agro-trade. To this end, he made four suggestions. First, enhance policy alignment to jointly safeguard the authority of the multilateral trade system. Second, promote innovation to foster new drivers for global agro-trade. Third, strengthen the division of labor and cooperation to improve the resilience of the agro-trade system. Fourth, encourage information sharing to guide the development of international agro-trade.
Wang Zhiheng, President of the Agricultural Bank of China; Hanne-Berit Brekken, State Secretary of the Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture and Food; Fabian Zuleeg, Chief Executive and Chief Economist of the European Policy Centre; and Michael Hart, President of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, attended the session and delivered remarks. Over 300 representatives from domestic and foreign governments, businesses, and academia also participated.
Before the session, Vice Minister Zhang met with State Secretary Brekken and Vebjorn Dysvik, Norwegian Ambassador to China. They exchanged views on deepening China-Norway agricultural cooperation.
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