Highlights of key events from forming an agreement with CAASS

2008
February	Begins negotiation process with Agro-Tech Extension Center of Ministry of Agriculture.
January	Merlyn Carlson formally joins as an advisor.

2007
October	New partners joined China Global.
March	China Global’s CEO, Billy Hong, officially appointed as member of Experts Advisory Group, and also appointed as International Liaison for CAASS.
February	All three departments and CAASS submitted their plans to M of A for review.
January	The first official ministry wide order of business was issued to three departments (Department of Forage, Department of International Cooperation, Department of technology and education) as well as CAASS to submit a plan on the formation of an international platform along with China Global.

2006
December	China Global arranged meetings in Washington D.C. between CAASS and US Secretary of Agriculture, two deputy under secretaries, and US Senator Nelson of Nebraska. This was followed by meetings in L.A. with the RAND Corporation, representatives of the Office of the President from the University of California systems, and the Milken Institute.
January	Five year agreement executed between China Global and CAASS.

2005
August	Ministry of Agriculture appointed CAASS as an appropriate organization to form such platform.
May	China Global presented the idea of helping US companies and investment funds to better source and analyze investment targets using the Ministry of Agriculture of China – this idea was well received and Director Carlson requested China Global to speak with appropriate Chinese officials to see if a platform could be developed for such purpose.
March	Director of Agriculture of Nebraska, Merlyn Carlson (then Current Deputy Undersecretary of Agriculture for US), while visiting China informed China Global that the former governor of Nebraska, Mike Johanns, was appointed as Secretary of Agriculture for the US.