U.S.-China Agriculture Roundtable Underway for ‘Shared Challenges to Shared Future’

March 25 , 2021 (EIRNS)—On March 23, four online sessions over three weeks of the U.S.-China Agriculture Roundtable kicked off, under the title, “Shared Challenges to Shared Future: Finding the Way Forward.” The second session, “Trade and Business Dialogue” takes place this evening; and the final two sessions will take place on April 1, “Agriculture Education Dialogue,” and the final meeting on April 8, “Think Tank Dialogue.” The events involve top agriculture business, national, and state leaders of the U.S. and China, brought together on the platform of co-host U.S. Heartland-China Association (USHCA), based in Missouri, founded in 2003 by former Gov. Bob Holden. The other co-sponsor is the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC).

The opening welcome remarks given by Holden and CPAFFC President Lin Songtian stressed, as Holden said, that “collaboration over confrontation” should characterize the relations between our nations. Lin maintained that good agriculture relations started between China and the U.S. going back to agriculture science and technology initiatives in 1972. He made reference to the Feb. 10 presidential phone call between Joe Biden and Xi Jinping, saying that “dialogue is better than conflict,” and that “we can cooperate on supply chains for common development.”

The speakers’ roster and friendship thrust make this series a dramatic counterpole to the anti-China media frenzy and Washington policy most notably pushed by former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and his successor Tony Blinken. Last November, Pompeo went to the heartland state of Minnesota, and gave a presentation in their state capitol, warning states and localities to have nothing to do with China.

This week, greetings and messages were conveyed to the U.S.-China Roundtable from Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Secretary of State Paul Pate, Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill, U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood of Illinois, and others. From China, Vice Governor Xia Yanjun of Hebei Provincial People's Government and top agriculture official from Hebei Province spoke. Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill made a point of stating his