The Citrus Research Institute (CRI), as the national scientific research center for citrus fruits, was established in 1960, directly subordinated to the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), the Ministry of Agriculture. It is located in the Municipality of Chongqing, occupying an acreage of 130 hectares. The CRI was incorporated with the Southwest Agricultural University (SWAU) in September 2001, and the newly established Southwest University (SWU), the merger of the former Southwest Normal University and the Southwest Agricultural University）as one part of SWAU in July 2005, with the CRI retaining its original name as the CRI of the CAAS, under the co-construction of both SWU and CAAS.
