China's Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) and UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on cooperation in the control of Trans-boundary Animal Diseases (TAD) and Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID) in Paris on May 28.

Director-general of MOA's Bureau of Veterinary Service Zhang Zhongqiu and FAO's chief veterinary officer Dr Juan Luborth signed the MOU, which specified the goals and steps of both sides in jointly tackling challenges posed by TAD and EID.

With growing population, increasing international trade on animal and animal products, and changing eco-environment, TAD and EID pose greater risks and represent a global challenge.

MOA and FAO aim to cooperate in the following areas: enhance capacity building in animal disease emergency response and the planning of animal disease control programs; strengthen capacity building in veterinary epidemiology and veterinary laboratory network and its management; establish focal points and regular communication mechanisms for information and knowledge sharing; explore new-type support channels in addition to existing channels; and support each other in its bilateral or multilateral cooperation projects with other countries, regions, international organizations or non-government organizations.

FAO and MOA have good cooperation in major animal disease control, including avian influenza (AI) and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). Both sides decided to expand such cooperation with well-defined roles and responsibilities.

This MOU is an important supplement to the 2012 MOU between MOA and FAO, and will further enhance capacity building for China's veterinary sector at all levels by making full use of FAO's strengths and resources in animal health.