On July 17, CAS vice president Chen Zhu met with some important participants of ATBC 2006 at the Harbour Plaza – Kunming, including council members of the Association of Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC), invited keynote speakers and major members of the organizing committee.

Founded in 1963, ATBC promotes research and fosters the exchange of ideas among biologists working in tropical environments.

   ATBC 2006 opens today (July 18) at Harbour Plaza in Kunming and will last until July 21. More than 300 scholars and students from over 40 countries and regions participate in the meeting.

   The meeting is funded by CAS Bureau of International Cooperation and National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC). Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) is the host of ATBC 2006.