Global rubber conference focuses on industry revitalization

The Global Rubber Conference 2019 kicked off Thursday in the city of Haikou, capital of China's southernmost island province of Hainan.

As one of the most influential conferences in the rubber field worldwide, the three-day event has attracted more than 600 government officials, businessmen and academics from the leading rubber-producing countries, including Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Focusing on the development of the rubber industry, the conference aims to provide a platform for attendees to discuss the industry chains of the natural rubber industry and the key factors and development strategies influencing the international rubber and rubber products market.

Lectures and forums on diverse topics, including new technologies and the prospects for the rubber industry, will be held during the event.

Abdul Aziz S. A. Kadir, secretary general of the International Rubber Research Development Board and chairman of the Global Rubber Conference Steering Committee, said at the conference that the natural rubber industry has been impacted by low prices, calling for urgent reforms to rebuild and strengthen the industry.

"[The conference aims] to provide practical solutions and develop strategies to revive the natural rubber industry," he said.

Liu Pingzhi, vice governor of Hainan, said rubber industry is important to Hainan's tropical agriculture, and the sustainable development of the rubber industry is a key channel to increase local farmers' incomes and push forward rural revitalization.

Liu voiced the hope that the conference can help expand cooperation and exchanges in tropical agriculture, facilitate international trade and enhance the competitiveness of China's tropical agriculture.