On December 21, the Council of Agriculture (COA) of the Executive Yuan and the Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI) jointly held the 2018 “Executive Committee Meeting (2/2018) and 15th General Assembly Meeting” of APAARI at the Academia Sinica in Taipei. More than 50 representatives from member countries including Canada, Russia, the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, India, Sri Lanka, Iran, Pakistan, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and Taiwan attended.

　　The COA states that APAARI is a peripheral organization under the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). It has been more than 20 years since its establishment in 1990 and its headquarters are in Bangkok, Thailand. Since becoming a formal member of APAARI in 1999 (and as a current member of the Executive Committee), Taiwan has actively participated in APAARI operations, which has been helpful to upgrading agricultural technology development and scientific research in Taiwan and the Asia-Pacific region. At this 2018 General Assembly Meeting, Taiwan again won support from member countries to continue to serve as a member of the Executive Committee in 2019-2020.

　　The COA explains that in order to strengthen linkages and consolidate international cooperation between Taiwan and APAARI, since 2008 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has funded cooperative agricultural projects of the Asia-Pacific Consortium on Agricultural Biotechnology and Bioresources (APCoAB), a subsidiary organization under APAARI. Moreover, Taiwan holds the vice-chairmanship of the Steering Committee of the APCoAB, and works together with all member countries to promote the use and development of bioresources in the Asia-Pacific region.

　　The COA emphasizes that continued participation in APAARI operations will be helpful to ensuring that academic research in Taiwan stays on track with international research, and moreover can expand Taiwan’s international participation and increase Taiwan’s importance in regional development. In particular, because most APAARI member countries are New Southbound Policy partner countries, participation in APAARI will facilitate the promotion of Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy.