The 2022 NEAR International Forum was held both online and offline on April 28 in Pohang-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, the ROK. This year’s forum is themed as “Development Strategies for Northeast Asian Farming Villages and the Agro-food Industry through the Fostering of the Sixth Industry”. Over 300 representatives from international organizations and 59 regional governments of China, Japan, the ROK, Mongolia, Russia and Vietnam joined the forum. Kim Okchae, Secretary-General of NEAR, delivered an opening remark. Ha Daesung, Vice Governor for Economic Planning of Gyeongsangbuk-do, and Ou Boqian, Secretary-General of Japan-China-ROK Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat, delivered speeches respectively. Lee Dongphil, former Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of the ROK, delivered a keynote speech. Officials from Ningxia Foreign Affairs Office (NXFAO) and Ningxia Agriculture and Rural Affairs Department attended the forum online.

During the meeting, experts and scholars in the agriculture and rural affairs sector engaged in in-depth discussion. They exchanged views on policies that are aimed to support agricultural development through the fostering of the sixth industry, introduce and train young talents in rural areas, and increase rural residents’ income. They also discussed agricultural development plans and trade of agricultural products under the RCEP framework.

Participants from Ningxia said that through this meeting, they learned about the status quo and development trends of modern agriculture of NEAR members. These information is very helpful as Ningxia is pursuing agricultural modernization and rural revitalization featured by industrial integration.

Established in 1996, the Association of North East Asia Regional Governments (NEAR) is a regional international cooperation organization consisting of 79 provincial governments of China, Japan, the ROK, Mongolia, Russia and the DPRK. It is also one of the most representative multilateral cooperation mechanisms of regional governments in Northeast Asia, covering a total population of over 700 million. Ningxia joined the NEAR in 2000 and is a coordinator of the NEAR Subcommittee on Tourism. In 2012, Ningxia held the Ninth NEAR General Assembly.