Zhang Zhili, Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, attended the Twenty-Sixth Meeting of the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry and the Ministers of Agriculture of the People’s Republic of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (26^th AMAF Plus Three) in Singapore on October 30. He reviewed the report on the progress of ASEAN Plus Three cooperation in food, agriculture, and forestry and heard reports on climate change in Southeast Asia and digitalization initiatives within ASEAN. He put forth three recommendations for deepening regional agricultural cooperation: strengthening coordination on food security strategies, further modernizing agricultural science and technology, and promoting mutually beneficial trade and economic cooperation. The meeting adopted the Joint Press Statement of the 26^th AMAF Plus Three, and agreed to hold the 27^th AMAF Plus Three in Thailand in 2027.  

Before the meeting, Vice Minister Zhang met with Grace Fu Hai Yien, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment of Singapore, and co-chaired the second meeting of the China-Singapore Working Group on Agricultural Cooperation with Melvyn Ong, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment. Vice Minister Zhang spoke positively of the progress made by both sides in strengthening institutional mechanisms, expanding trade and investment, and promoting scientific and technological exchanges. He encouraged research institutions and universities in both countries to deepen scientific and technological cooperation in areas such as vertical farming, novel foods, and food safety. He also said that China stands ready to continue working with Singapore to facilitate trade in agro-products, including pork. The two sides also exchanged letters confirming their agreement to extend the Memorandum of Understanding Between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment of the Republic of Singapore on Cooperation in Agriculture and Food Security through December 2029.  

During his trip to Singapore, Vice Minister Zhang also visited the Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory and Nanyang Technological University to learn about developments in agricultural science and technology.