Prof. Ding Zhongli, vice president of CAS headed up a 7-person delegation to Vietnam and Cambodia during January 12-19. The delegation included senior translator Qiu Huasheng (deputy director general of CAS Bureau of International Cooperation), Prof. Chen Jin (director of XTBG), and Prof. Cheng Shengkui (deputy director of Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research), etc.

The delegation visited Vietnam Academy of Science & Technology (VAST), some research institutions of VAST, and the Ministry of Environment of Cambodia. 

On January 13, Prof. Ding Zhongli met with Prof. Nguyen Dinh Cong, vice president of VAST. They talked about cooperation possibilities in climate change and biodiversity studies.

Prof. Chen Jin said that the Institute of Tropical Biology has similar research focus with XTBG. The two institutions may have expanding coopeation space. XTBG will send delegation to Vietnam to seek more partnerships in 2011.

When visiting theMinistry of Environment of Cambodia, vice president Ding Zhongli attached importance to the construction of the National Botanical Garden of Cambodia, the first of its kind in Cambodia.

XTBG will give continued support to the construction of the National Botanical Garden of Cambodia, said Prof. Chen Jin.

On January, His Excellency Mok Mareth, Minister of Environment, gave a feast to the CAS delegation.

The CAS delegation also visited Kulen National Park, a candidate site for the national botanical garden.