The 2016 Forum on agricultural water-saving in Central Asia was held in Shihezi, Xinjiang province on August 6. The forum was an important part of the China and Central Asia water-saving agriculture cooperation and development research project in 2015.

At the opening ceremony, Liang Qinghua, of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Administration of Foreign Affairs, welcomed foreign experts from central and southern Asia. Liang said that the forum was of great significance both for promoting friendship between their countries and China and for sustainable development of water-saving agriculture in Central Asia.

Water-saving drip irrigation is an advanced technology of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and should be promoted to other areas.

The corps is the demonstration base of efficient water-saving agriculture and the birthplace of drip irrigation in China. The technology has been applied to 2.4 million hectares in Xinjiang and 14.27 million hectares in China. More than 15 countries have put it into use, including Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Mongolia.