Chinese Vice-Premier Expounds Position on Food Security

Chinese Vice-Premier Wen Jiabao spelt out in Rome Monday China's four-point principled position and propositions on how to resolve the issue of food security at the ongoing World Food Summit sponsored by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Wen, who is also the head of the Chinese delegation to the summit, said that it is the responsibility of all countries in the world and the international community to strive to eliminate hunger and poverty, and ensure every person the basic right to adequate food and the right of being free from hunger.

He thus listed the following four points related to China's position on the issue.

First, safeguarding world peace and stability is the basic prerequisite for eliminating hunger and securing food security. China calls on all countries to observe the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and the basic norms governing international relations, jointly facilitate the establishment of a just and rational new international political and economic order, and safeguard world peace and regional stability, so as to create a favorable environment for achieving world food security and progress of human societies.

Secondly, it is a basic duty of all governments to resolve the issue of food security. Governments should first rely on their domestic strength, formulate development strategies conducive to food and agricultural production, and work hard to enhance the capacity of food production. At the same time, they should bring into full play their resource advantages, actively develop their unique industries, improve their international competitiveness, and enhance their economic development and capacity of international payment.

Thirdly, importance should be attached to the rational utilization of resources and the protection of environment as environmental degradation, such as desertification water shortage. Therefore, food production should follow the law of nature, rather than grow at the expense of the environment, and excessively fast population growth should be curbed to maintain harmony between mankind and nature.

Fourthly, international cooperation should be strengthened to ensure global food security. The international community, the developed countries in particular, should heed the difficulties of developing countries which are handicapped by sluggish economic growth and lasting poverty by providing them with more development assistance, reducing their debts, enhancing technology transfer and opening their market to developing countries.

In promoting trade liberalization of farm produce, the realities of developing countries and their reasonable demands should be taken into full account and their interests be accommodated. The objective of eliminating worldwide hunger and malnutrition can be truly realized only when developing countries, especially the poorest among them, enjoy economic development.

In conclusion, the Vice Premier pledged China's unremitting efforts to work with other governments and peoples for the fulfillment of the objectives set by the World Food Summit.

(Xinhua News Agency June 11, 2002)