Elyn MacInnis, initiator of the "Kuliang Friends", and officials from the Kuliang Tourist Resort Administrative Committee visited Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University (FAFU) on July 6 to explore opportunities for cultural, academic and scientific cooperation.

Elyn MacInnis and officials from the Kuliang Tourist Resort Administrative Committee meet with representatives of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University on July 6. [Photo/Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University]

The delegation was welcomed by Lai Hairong, Party secretary of FAFU, at the university's Cangshan campus in Fuzhou, Fujian province. During the meeting, both sides exchanged views on protecting the iconic Kuliang Cedar King, advancing research on Kuliang's history and culture, and promoting China-U.S. people-to-people exchanges.

Lai highlighted the university's long-standing ties with the United States, which date back to one of its predecessor institutions, Fukien Christian University. Under the leadership of its then president, Professor Lin Ching-jun, the university established its agricultural program. The university maintained close academic ties with American universities and scholars, and many of its faculty members were American professors or Chinese scholars who had studied in the United States.

He noted that over the past nine decades, FAFU has continued to strengthen cooperation with U.S. institutions in forestry, plant protection and agricultural sciences while fostering partnerships in scientific research and talent cultivation.

He also introduced the university's recent collaboration with Oregon State University, which includes exchanges on national park development and management, as well as joint research in wood science and engineering, blueberry breeding and cultivation, and forest soil nitrogen fixation.

Established in 2016, FAFU's U.S. Alumni Association now has more than 260 members across the United States, serving as an important bridge for academic collaboration and people-to-people exchanges.

As the university continues to advance research in forestry, biodiversity conservation and biosecurity, Lai expressed his hope that cooperation on tracing the origins and lineage of the Kuliang Cedar King would become a new starting point for broader collaboration. He also welcomed more members of the "Kuliang Friends" and their families to visit the university, helping carry forward the enduring friendship between the Chinese and American people.

Elyn MacInnis poses for a photo with students at Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University during a visit to the university's history museum.  [Photo/Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University]

MacInnis shared her years of work collecting historical materials and preserving Kuliang stories, describing the century-old Kuliang friendship as a treasured legacy of cross-cultural exchange. She said the university's expertise in forestry would provide valuable scientific support for researching the origins of the Kuliang Cedar King, enriching the story of Kuliang through academic research. She also expressed her hope of strengthening cooperation between FAFU and the "Kuliang Friends" through a wide range of exchanges, so that the friendship between the Chinese and American people will continue to flourish, just like the ancient cedar trees that have stood on Kuliang for generations.