Symposium on Plant Genetic Resources of East Asia funded by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) was successfully held at Okayama University Japan from October 6th to 7th, 2009.

　　The symposium is one of the important contents of the JSPS project 'Cooperative Research and Educational Center for Plant Resources in East Asia' started in 2009 .  Prof. Long Chunlin of Kunming Institute of Botany  as well as Hu Guangwan, Long Bo, Tian Ning, Wang Yuehu and Yang Shixiong participated in this meeting and respectively made reports on the meeting. Professor Kazuyoshi Takeda, the member of Japanese Science Council, the winner of 2009 Japan's top science and technology award, director of Biological Science Resource Institute of Okayama University,  made a theme report named 'Genetic Resources Feed the World'. After the reports by Prof. Long Chunlin and Prof. Kato Yasuji, the meeting was divided into plant genetic resources sub-venue and phytochemistry sub-venue, in which experts from both China and Japan reported the work progress in their respective fields and research results obtained. At last, the two sides conducted extensive discussions on areas of common interest and cooperation intention, etc. After the meeting, the participants of KIB visited presidnet of Okayama University Kyozo Chiba and a group photo was taken as souvenir before the authentic work left by the CAS ex-president Guo Moruo when he studied at Okayama University.

　　The project 'Cooperative Research and Educational Center for Plant Resources in East Asia'  funded by JSPS was jointly applied by Prof. Long Chun-lin, Kunming Institute of Botany and Professor Kato Yasuji, Okayama University, Japan. The duration of execution of this project was 60 months. It focused on the talent cultivation in the fields of plant resources, plant genetic resources and promoted mutual exchanges and cooperation.

　　The convening of this symposium indicated that the cooperation agreement came into a new 5 years' cooperation stage since the agreement was subscribed in 2004 by the former director of KIB researcher Hao Xiaojiang, on behalf of KIB, with Okayama University of Japan.