China

The Australian aid program in China will work in collaboration with the Chinese Government to reduce poverty through support for ‘balanced development’ policies and programs. The China–Australia Country Program Strategy will therefore be based more on supporting equity in China’s development, addressing the factors that underpin poverty, and less on direct poverty alleviation. The ACIAR program in China is concentrated on sustainability aspects of agricultural production, through policy and technical projects on better management of land and water resources in north-western China. In addressing sustainable production, the need to raise farmers’ incomes through increased productivity and marketability of produce is also addressed in project design. To reach those most affected by poverty and land degradation, the program will increasingly target rainfed crop–livestock systems, primarily in Gansu province. In recognition of the evolving nature of Australia’s development-assistance relationship with China, all new activities will be partnerships that include significant co-investment by Chinese partners.

There is an ongoing related, but broader, emphasis on maintaining efforts to improve agricultural productivity in Tibet Autonomous Region. Both north-western China and Tibet Autonomous Region confront significant environmental challenges, which need to be addressed through strategies that foster income growth for smallholder farmers.

ACIAR will consult with the Chinese partners to engage in joint regional- and national-level research initiatives. As a large and emerging economy with a substantial agricultural research network and capacity, opportunities for partnering with China on a regional basis will be explored. These opportunities for mutual research collaboration will be more appropriate as China’s relationship progresses from an aid agenda. Australia and China interact with a range of international research and assistance agencies that provide suitable platforms for addressing wide regional research options.

In view of the significant human and financial resources now available within the Chinese national agricultural research system, and the strong mutual benefits to Australia, ACIAR requires Chinese and Australian research providers to share project costs in China. ACIAR usually seeks funding commitment through case-by-case exchanges of letters during project development. Only a small proportion of the highest priority projects can be supported. Therefore, projects chosen must:

• address the highest priorities of the Chinese partners


• address overall Australia–China development policy to ‘further mutual interest by supporting China’s balanced development policies and working together in the region’ (China–Australia Country Program Strategy 2006–2010, AusAID)


• complement other schemes for China–Australia collaboration, including the AusAID Australia–China Environment and Development program


• exploit Australian technical comparative advantage


• complement activities of other (larger) donors


• examine opportunities for bilateral and regional climate-change technical and policy initiatives.

ACIAR consultation with China to prioritise research collaboration includes meetings with senior leaders and researchers from the ministries of Science and Technology, and Agriculture and Water Resources, as well as the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, universities and provincial authorities. Consistent with the above strategy to assess regional priorities and opportunities, future exchanges will have both bilateral and multilateral objectives as focal points. The priorities for ACIAR’s China program in the medium term are:

• selection of technologies for improved water-use efficiency, with an emphasis on dryland agriculture


• development of policies and institutions for improved land and water use and associated climate-change influences


• wheat breeding for dryland conditions and conservation farming systems


• integrated crop–livestock systems in favourable areas of Tibet Autonomous Region and rangelands of north-western China.