A 48-member delegation from Finnish Beekeepers&39; Association visited the Institute of Apicultural Research of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (IAR/CAAS) on September 25th, 2015. A group of leaders and experts from IAR/CAAS attended the meeting including: Prof. Wang Jiaqi, Director General; Prof. Peng Wenjun, Deputy Director General; Prof. Wu Jie, Chief Scientist of the Pollinating Bee Biology and Pollination Application team; Prof. Chen Lihong, Vice-president & Secretary-general of Apicultural Science Association of China (ASAC); Dr. Fang Yu, Deputy Director General of IAR Department of Science and Technology; Professor Li Jianke; Dr. Dai Pingli and Dr.Wang Qiang.

Chaired by Prof. Chen Lihong, Secretary-general of Apicultural Science Association of China (ASAC), the meeting shared ideas on bee industry in China and Finland, summarized the development and trends of China&39;s bee breeding and honey production, exchanged ideas on practical experience of mite resistance, and discussed matters on the CAAS-FBA cooperation. 

Prof. Wang Jiaqi welcomed the Finnish delegation and briefed the mandates, mission and development strategies of the institute. He called for initiating and implementing more substantial projects in the apicutlural science and technology area under the existing bilateral cooperation framework. 

Dr. Ari Seppala, Consultant from the Finnish Beekeepers&39; Association, thanked Wang for the warm welcome. He gave a brief introduction on the apiculture industry in Finnland and looked forward to the collaboration between China and Finland. Prof. Wu Jie and Dr. Wang Qiang presented the progress of China&39;s apiculture development as well as the updated research findings on the mite resistance.

After the meeting, the delegation visited the National Apicultural Museum and the mature honey station of the Apicultural Science Association of China (ASAC). The visit laid a solid foundation for further cooperation between IAR/CAAS and international organizations.