China proposes action plan to eradicate world hunger
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Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu on Monday proposed a four-point action plan aimed at eradicating world hunger in his address to a world summit on food security.
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Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu makes a speech during the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Summit in Rome, capital of Italy, Nov. 16, 2009. On behalf of the Chinese Government, Hui Liangyu attended the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Summit which opened Monday.[Chen Haitong/Xinhua] |
Stressing the fact that the financial crisis has worsened the plight of the poor and the hungry, the Chinese vice premier said the summit, hosted at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) headquarters here, was "of special significance to world food security, global economic recovery and sustainable development."
In order to overcome the "dual pressure of an international financial crisis and a global food crisis," the first suggestion of the Chinese government was to increase input and raise food production by investing more in agriculture, build up the capability to resist natural disasters and strive for greater self-sufficiency.
Both industrialized and developing countries should in the long run forge their own "blood-generating" capacity, Hui said.
He called on developed countries and international organizations to provide developing countries with financial, technological, market and capacity-building assistance.
The second Chinese suggestion presented to world leaders at the FAO summit was to "create a sound market environment for mutual benefit and win-win progress," obtainable through the elimination of all sorts of protectionism, the re-launch of the Doha Round negotiations and the reform of global financial governance.
"All countries should jointly oppose trade protectionism in all its forms and manifestations and push for a positive outcome of the Doha Round negotiations," he said, urging developed countries to slash agricultural subsidies, remove trade barriers and give greater market access to developing countries.
Thirdly, Hui proposed to push forward with the reform of the UN food and agriculture agencies and improve the global governance mechanism in order to rapidly react to crises.
"China supports the creation of a food security safeguard system encompassing early warning, emergency relief and regulation functions," he said.
Lastly, the Chinese government called for a coordinated and global approach in order to ensure a balanced growth.
"Food security is closely related to economic growth, social progress, climate change and energy security," Hui said, adding that global cooperation must be intensified in all sectors because challenges are multiple and interconnected.
This is why all countries "should strive for a positive outcome of the upcoming Copenhagen summit on global warming," the Chinese vice premier said.
The world summit on food security opened in Rome on Monday. During the three-day event more than 60 heads of state and government will gather to discuss measures to eradicate hunger and ensure food security.
