Distinguished guests and friends,

Good Morning! Today we hold here the opening ceremony for the newly-founded Guangdong Institute of World Soil Resources (or GIWSR). I’m honoured to extend to you the warmest welcome and our whole-hearted thanks on behalf of the staff of Hongda Xingye Co., Ltd. and the R&D forces of GIWSR.

From soil comes food; from food comes survival. Most of our food is produced on soils. Soil security is not only closely associated with our mental and physical health, but also with the sustainable development of the eco-system and the inheritance of civilization. Currently, China has been reporting deteriorating soil conditions, including degraded farmlands and severe soil pollution. Overdose of pesticides and fertilizers has further aggravated soil acidification and therefore increased the dynamics of heavy metal ions in passivated soils, causing severe soil pollution. Dry weather coupled with improper irrigation has resulted in massive soil salinization. Soil acidification, salinization, alkalinization and deteriorating soil conditions have become gaint hindrances to the sustainable development of the Chinese agriculture.

Recently, the central government has been attaching increasing importance to fighting soil pollution, taking a couple of measures to protect farmland and promote the soil improvement campaign. The General Office of the State Council has printed and issued a paper clearly suggesting investigation on and treatment for soil pollution. Relevant laws and regulations on soil pollution treatment are under review. Meanwhile, the government is devising a series of policies to encourage the Public-Private Partnership in soil pollution control. The government also plans to gradually open up to social capital the field of soil pollution control to ensure soil security. It’s the mutual responsibility of the government and the public to protect the eco-system.

Hongda Xingye Co., Ltd. is a famous listed company in the Chinese industry of resources and energy. The company boasts a comprehensive chemical industry chain and a business system featuring environmental protection, new materials and electronic trading. As a company with a great sense of social responsibility, Hongda Xingye is determined to figth against the increasingly severe soil pollution, stepping up capital into soil pollution control and soil improvement. Recently, the company has adopted an innovation-oriented development approach to tap into the potential of circular economy. The Industry-University-Research Collaboration with famous soil institutes has contributed to the successful production of soil conditioner. The company has also set up soil improvement pilot zones in Guangdong and Inner Mongolia, and established cooperation relationship with Cambodia, Kazakhstan, the US and other countries and regions. Year 2016 will witness a total area of 1 million mus under improvement.

To respond to the Belt and Road Initiative, deepen international cooperation and improve the Chinese R&D forces in soil sciences, Hongda Xingye set up GIWSR with the help and support from the distinguised experts and professors presented here. GIWSR is dedicated to improving soil conditions and ensuring food security by studying soil improvement and soil pollution control, gradually promoting soil remediation technologies. Besides, GIWSR also seeks to serve experts, scholars and R&D staff engaged in the study of soil science. GIWSR will organize regular soil seminars in various forms where the latest development in soil research will be discussed to facilitate the exchange between domestic and international scholars and experts. As a non-profit organization, GIWSR is wholly funded by Hongda Xingye. The company provides GIWSR with talent, financial and resource support, and supplies it with a research fund of no less than 10 million yuan per year. There are well-known CAS members and nationwide influential experts presented here who have made great contribution to the industry of soil pollution control. We expect further collaboration with you. We also extend sincere invitations to excellent soil scientists to join us to restore health to our soils.

Currently, the GIWSR has set up several divisions, including a R&D center, a soil museum, an acid soil improvement research center and an alkaline soil improvement research center. Our R&D team has collected many a soil sample from different countries like the US, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Kazakhstan and regions like Jilin, Inner Mongolia, Hunan and Guangdong. We are going to step up support to the collection of soil samples. The globalized soil museum will facilitate soil sample exchange between GIWSR and other soil institutes, gradually deepening international cooperation while enriching the soil sample varieties in the GIWSR museum.

A journey of thousand miles starts with a single steps. The foundation of GIWSR marks the starting point where we begin to devote ourselves to soil improvement and environmental protection. The soil pollution is becoming increasely severe and we are fully aware of our responsibility. We will remain confident and surefooted, keeping pace with the changing times and taking initiative to innovate. We will speed up our effort to recruite an internationalized R&D team and to set up experiment bases around the world, so as to realize soil sample exchange as soon as possible. GIWSR will fight for soil improvement with ever-greater enthusiasm, wisdom and endeavour.

On the occasion of the New Year, I wish you and your family great happiness!

   
Dec. 27, 2015