Prof. Hou Jianguo, president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), recently paid an inspection visit to Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG). The visit focused on planning the 15th five-year plan and accelerating the establishment of the Xishuangbanna Tropical National Botanical Garden. He was accompanied by CAS vice president Wang Keqiang.

Hou Jianguo had a meeting with XTBG leadership. He listened to reports on the progress of key tasks and the development plan for the15th five-year plan. He fully acknowledged its recent accomplishments. He emphasized that XTBG should focus on major national needs, such as high-quality natural rubber, and advancing scientific research, species conservation, and resource utilization, actively refining and undertaking major tasks to provide systematic technological solutions.

Hou also urged XTBG to leverage unique geographical and resource advantages to attract top international talent and build high-level platforms for international exchange, to build a distinctive, world-class national botanical garden guided by principles of national representativeness, scientific systematization, and social public welfare.

Hou visited the rubber tree sexual lineage comparison test area, the balsa wood trial base, the breeding base, and the Institutional Centre for Shared Technologies and Facilities, listening to report on the conservation and utilization of tropical germplasm resources, biodiversity protection, and the development of scientific research platforms. 

When having cordial exchanges with frontline researchers, Hou inquired in detail about the challenges they face in both scientific work and daily life. He encouraged them to stay committed to national strategic demands and scientific frontiers, embrace long-term dedication, scale new heights, and strive to produce critical, original, and pioneering scientific and technological achievements.