Prospects for collaboration between the veterinary professions in the United States and China.

JAVMA, Vol 242, No. 12, June 15, 2013 F farming is still the heart of rural China, supporting millions of families, with the typical family farm raising animals and growing crops suitable to the local climatic conditions and fulfilling the needs of local markets. But over the next 10 years, China is expected to experience the greatest degree of urbanization in world history. According to the McKinsey Global Health Institute, the population of China will grow by approximately 350 million by 2025, with a billion people living in cities and 221 cities having a population of a million people or more. This trend toward urbanization is expected to be accompanied by a rapid increase in the size of the middle class, with an attendant tremendous increase in the demand for highquality protein. To meet increasing consumer demands, more Chinese veterinarians will be needed to assist with food animal production. In addition, although most Chinese veterinarians currently work in the areas of food safety, research, government, and agriculture, the increase in the number of middle-income and upper-income families will also result in an increase in the number of pets and an increase in the demand for small animal veterinarians. Given these trends, there is great potential for collaborative efforts of mutual interest and benefit to the US and Chinese veterinary professions. In this article, we explore some of those areas of potential collaboration.