On August 29, the inaugural meeting of the National Food and Agricultural Products Testing Alliance was held in Ningbo, initiated by the Chinese Academy of Inspection and Quarantine and approved by the State Administration for Quality Supervision and Inspection. Xiang Yuzhang, Chief Inspector of the State Administration for Quality Supervision and Inspection, and Li Huailin, President of the Chinese Academy of Inspection and Quarantine, attended the ceremony and jointly unveiled the alliance’s plaque. The founding assembly brought together 76 initiating organizations from across the country—representing inspection and quarantine agencies, quality and technical supervision authorities, agricultural and health sectors, as well as research institutes and higher education institutions—with more than one hundred delegates in total.

　　In his address, Xiang Yuzhang pointed out that the 12th Five-Year Plan period represents a crucial phase for China to thoroughly implement the Scientific Outlook on Development, accelerate the transformation of its economic development model, and build a harmonious socialist society. As an essential means of ensuring product and service quality and safety, safeguarding human and animal‑plant health, and promoting energy conservation and environmental protection, inspection and testing plays a vital role in driving economic growth and fostering social harmony and stability. The establishment of the National Food and Agricultural Products Testing Laboratory Alliance will create a robust mechanism for communication among member institutions, reduce coordination costs, and foster mutual trust, enabling them to join forces in meeting international competition, providing a platform for shared development, and, through in-depth exchanges and cooperation within the Alliance, facilitating substantial progress and advancement in food safety management across all participating entities, while strengthening and streamlining inter‑institutional collaboration.

　　Establishing the National Food and Agricultural Products Testing Alliance is a major initiative to further implement the relevant provisions of the “Outline for Quality Development” and the “Guiding Opinions of the General Office of the State Council on Accelerating the Development of High‑Tech Service Industries,” with the aim of better leveraging the technical support role of national inspection and testing institutions in the field of food and agricultural product safety testing, and of expediting the development of the high‑tech inspection and testing industry. By forming this alliance, barriers posed by regional and departmental boundaries can be dismantled, enabling the gradual sharing of resources, talent, and expertise among members, fostering mutually beneficial outcomes, achieving mutual recognition of test results, jointly addressing emerging food safety risks, and collectively supporting the sound and sustainable development of the food industry.

　　At this meeting, the alliance’s inaugural board of directors, the chairperson‑in‑office institution, and 29 vice‑chairperson‑in‑office institutions were also elected. The Chinese Academy of Inspection and Quarantine was elected as the chairperson‑in‑office institution, and Li Huailin was elected as the chairperson of the first board of directors.