On September 10, ZHANG Bing, Deputy Director of the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (AIRCAS) and a CAS Member, attended the Transboundary Plant Health Dialogue 2026 in Almaty, Kazakhstan, with an AIRCAS delegation. The delegation joined other participants in signing the Almaty Declaration, reaching consensus on cooperation in monitoring, early warning and coordinated management of transboundary pests and diseases.
Jointly organized by the Kazakh Research Institute of Plant Protection and Quarantine and AIRCAS, the dialogue brought together representatives of relevant institutions from China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. A representative of the Chinese Consulate General in Almaty also attended. AIRCAS participants included CHEN Mingmei, Deputy Director of the International Cooperation Office; Professors HUANG Wenjiang, LI Xinwu and WANG Xiaoming; and Associate Professors DONG Yingying, WU Wenjin and ZHANG Miao.
Zhang noted that Central Asia and neighboring regions face common challenges from the cross-border spread of pests and diseases. Strengthening monitoring and early warning for locusts and other major pests and diseases, together with international scientific cooperation, is essential to safeguarding regional plant health, he said. He called for greater information sharing and coordinated management to address these risks. AIRCAS is ready to contribute its strengths in Earth observation, Big Earth Data and artificial intelligence to joint research on the mechanisms underlying pest and disease outbreaks and on pest migration and dispersal. It also seeks to develop regional risk assessment and early warning models, promote the sharing of monitoring data and support the training of early-career researchers, providing scientific and technological support for coordinated regional management.
Participants discussed phytosanitary risks, remote sensing monitoring and biological control. They explored joint projects, researcher exchanges and technology demonstrations to better align research outcomes with national plant protection needs. The Almaty Declaration signed at the dialogue calls for integrating ground monitoring with remote sensing and other technologies to support joint monitoring and early warning of transboundary pests. It also proposes exploring the establishment of a regional expert network and an information platform, and strengthening cooperation in quarantine diagnostics, harmonization of technical standards and mutual recognition of test results.
Building on the dialogue, AIRCAS will continue to deepen practical cooperation with research institutions and plant protection authorities across the region and advance the application of aerospace information technologies. These efforts will provide scientific and technological support for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, regional food security and sustainable agricultural development.
Participants at the Transboundary Plant Health Dialogue 2026 in Almaty, Kazakhstan.