On January 9, the Agricultural Bank of China (ABC) and the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives signed a strategic cooperation agreement in Beijing. ABC Chairman and Party Committee Secretary Gu Shu and the Federation's Council Director and Party Group Secretary Wang Yuyan attended the signing ceremony and held talks to strengthen cooperation between the two institutions. ABC President and Deputy Party Committee Secretary Wang Zhiheng, along with the Federation's Party Group Member, Council Deputy Director, and Secretary-General Cheng Qingxin, and ABC Vice President and Party Committee Member Wang Dajun witnessed the signing. ABC Vice President and Party Committee Member Meng Fanjun and the Federation's Council Deputy Director and Party Group Member Xu Guanghong signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organizations.

Prior to the signing ceremony, Gu Shu and his delegation visited the China Cotton Whole Industry Chain Big Data Center, operated by the National Cotton Exchange Market under the China Supply and Marketing Group, and the Image Zhongnong Exhibition Hall of the China National Agricultural Means of Production Group. Gu Shu expressed gratitude for the long-standing trust and support from the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives. He emphasized that supply and marketing cooperatives serve as a comprehensive platform for supporting farmers' production and livelihoods and for promoting modern agricultural development, acting as a vital bridge connecting the Party and government with the rural population. He noted their unique advantages in serving agriculture, rural areas, and farmers, ensuring food security, and facilitating urban-rural circulation. Gu Shu stated that ABC is a leading bank in serving comprehensive rural revitalization, and its primary responsibilities align closely with the mission of the Federation. ABC will use this agreement as a catalyst to focus on the Federation's reform, development, and business layout during the 15th and 16th Five-Year Plan periods, comprehensively enhance the quality and efficiency of financial services, increase financial support, and jointly establish a model for "cooperative-bank linkage" cooperation.

Wang Yuyan welcomed Gu Shu and his delegation and thanked ABC for its consistent support of the supply and marketing cooperatives' work. Wang pointed out that serving agriculture is the fundamental purpose of the supply and marketing cooperatives, while serving agriculture, rural areas, and farmers is the primary responsibility of ABC. Both organizations were born from and have thrived because of agriculture, sharing a solid foundation for cooperation. Wang indicated that the major deployments made at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, which focus on accelerating agricultural and rural modernization, solidly advancing comprehensive rural revitalization, and speeding up the building of a strong agricultural nation, have charted the direction for their collaboration. She expressed hope that both sides would seize the opportunity presented by this agreement to further leverage their respective strengths in key areas such as the supply of agricultural inputs, agricultural socialized services, agricultural product circulation, recycling of renewable resources, and modern commercial circulation. They aim to deepen practical cooperation, explore new models of collaboration, and jointly build a comprehensive, convenient, and efficient service ecosystem for agriculture, thereby making new contributions to promoting sustained and stable income growth for farmers.

Senior executives from ABC, including the Head of Agriculture, Rural Areas, and Farmers Business, and the primary leaders of departments such as Corporate Banking for Agriculture, Rural Areas, and Farmers, Major Client Department, Personal Finance Department, Rural Revitalization Finance Department, and Farmer Finance Department, along with the main leaders of relevant departments and units of the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives, accompanied the participants at the signing ceremony.