Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS) is the national institution engaged in tropical agricultural research and development as well as graduate student education. As a national research academy, CATAS is administrated by the Ministry of Agriculture, P. R. China.

  The precursor of CATAS was South China Special Forestry Research Institute established in Guangzhou in 1954, which was relocated to Hainan Province four years later. In 1965 it was renamed as South China Academy of Tropical Crops, and renamed again as Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences in 1994 to broaden its research areas and mandates.

  CATAS is active in international cooperation and collaboration activities and has set up 12 international cooperation platforms to support such activities, such as FAO Reference Center for Tropical Agriculture Research and Training, CATAS-CIAT Collaboration and Cooperation Office, China-The Republic of Congo Agricultural Technology Demonstration Center, International Research Center for Advanced Tropical Agricultural Materials established by CATAS and Deakin University of Australia, International Joint Laboratory for Research and Development of Tropical Medicinal Plants, CATAS-University of Hawai’i Cooperative Research Center for Tropical Plant Protection, International S & T Cooperation Base for Tropical Agriculture approved by Ministry of Science and Technology of the P. R. China, National Intelligence Introduction and Extension Base for Tropical Forage approved by State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs of China, Hainan-ASEAN Tropical Crops S&T Cooperation Base approved by Department of S & T of Hainan Province, etc. CATAS has an extensive collaborative relationship with tropical and subtropical agricultural research institutions from more than 30 countries and regions.