Zhang Zhu, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, met separately with Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food of Canada, and Julie Collins, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry of Australia, in Beijing on November 3. The meetings focused on ways to deepen bilateral agricultural cooperation. 

In his meeting with Minister MacDonald, Minister Zhang said that under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, the agricultural departments of China and Canada have worked closely together and achieved fruitful results. The China–Canada Joint Committee on Agriculture has resumed its work. On the basis of restored institutionalized exchanges, two new working groups on soil health and the seed industry have been established. Guided by the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, China stands ready to work with Canada to strengthen institutional support, promote agricultural trade and investment, and jointly step up exchanges in agricultural science and technology. China also hopes to advance cooperation with Canada across various fields under the framework of the Joint Committee.  

Minister MacDonald said that agricultural cooperation between Canada and China has a long history. Canada strongly supports China's proposal to pursue coordinated development in soil health and livestock genetic resources and stands ready to maintain open channels of communication with China on agricultural issues. He added that Canada hopes that the two countries will work together to take bilateral agricultural cooperation to a new level. 

In his meeting with Minister Collins, Minister Zhang said that the leaders of the two countries have charted the course for the development of China–Australia relations. The agricultural departments of China and Australia have continued to improve cooperation mechanisms and strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation, making bilateral agricultural ties more resilient. China stands ready to work with Australia through the China–Australia Joint Committee on Agriculture to enhance communication and coordination in areas such as climate-smart agriculture, soil health management, food security, and food loss reduction. China also hopes to further enrich the China–Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and deliver more tangible benefits to the people of both countries. 

Minister Collins spoke highly of the important role of agricultural cooperation in bilateral relations and said that Australia hopes to continue deepening cooperation with China across various agricultural fields under the framework of the Australia–China Joint Committee on Agriculture.