By Ye Xingqing, Research Department of Rural Economy, DRC

Research Report, No.69, 2017 (Total 5144) 2017-06-14

Abstract: China has a large population but with limited arable land and water resources. In face of the swift development of industrialization and urbanization and the continuous increase of agricultural production cost, China’s dependency ratio on some of the imported agricultural products, especially land-intensive bulk agricultural products will become constantly enlarged. In view of the security of agricultural product supply and national economic security, China needs to increase the number of importers of agricultural products, and cultivate diversified transportation routes, import ports and trade channels. Based on a comprehensive analysis of the agricultural resources, the potential for production and trade growth as well as factors relating to trade balance, transportation routes and geopolitics, it could be found that some countries along the Belt and Road routes can play an important role in diversifying China’s global agricultural products supply system. China needs to enhance the data analysis of agricultural resources, main production products and the potential for trade growth of some major countries along the Belt and Road routes, establish outbound demonstration zones centering on technological cooperation, improve the strategic layout of key links in the industrial chain of important products, and give full scope to the role of enterprises on reclaimed land in making relevant pilot practice.

Key words: the Belt and Road Initiative, agricultural cooperation, import of agricultural products, diversification