Officials with the University of California – Davis, and a China agricultural university in Shaanxi province signed an agreement this week to establish the Sino-U.S. Joint Research Center for Food Safety in China. The signing ceremony was held Wednesday in the city of Yingchuan, China, during a meeting that also included officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and China’s Ministry of Science and Technology. The five-year agreement calls for the two universities — UC Davis and China’s Northwest Agricultural and Forestry University — to form a joint research team, carry out collaborative research projects and cooperate on other food safety-related projects. UC Davis’ World Food Center will name a director to coordinate the research program, and the Chinese partners will provide funding for the new center. Students from both UC-Davis and China will be offered opportunities to study and train in each other’s countries. In a statement, UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi hailed the agreement as “a landmark event for UC Davis and for our World Food Center and serves as yet another indication of our worldwide leadership in food and health.” She added that the partnership “will promote food safety in China and around the world.” Officials said a Sept. 23 event will provide more specific details for the new center and be held in conjunction with festivities celebrating the 80-year anniversary of China’s Northwest Agricultural and Forestry University.