DES MOINES (AP) — The first U.S.-China Agriculture Symposium will be held in Des Moines next week as part of a visit by Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping.
The symposium, planned for Thursday at the World Food Prize Hall of Laureates, will focus on food safety, food security and sustainable agriculture. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Xi will be accompanied by China's minister of agriculture, Han Changfu.
"China and the United States have an opportunity and responsibility to work together to help increase the availability and use of sustainably produced food for a rapidly growing world population," Vilsack said in a statement.
The symposium is the result of a trip Vilsack took to China in November and is intended to encourage discussion about the future of agricultural trade. China bought $20 billion in U.S. agriculture exports last year, making it the top buyer of agricultural goods.
Xi, who is expected to become China's president in October, is set to arrive in Des Moines on Wednesday after a stop in Muscatine, Iowa. The Chinese officials also will visit Washington, D.C., and California.
Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Copyright ©2012 Omaha World-Herald®. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, displayed or redistributed for any purpose without permission from the Omaha World-Herald.
