The United Nations (UN) food agency says it needs China's
experience and expertise to help fight global hunger.
"China has lifted several hundred million people out of poverty
in less than a generation. That is an extraordinary achievement,"
said visiting UN World Food
Program (WFP) Executive Director James Morris.
Expressing congratulations to the Chinese government for its
"remarkable success," Morris said his agency is seeking to forge a
new, mutually rewarding relationship with China that reflects "our
shared vision of a world free of hunger."
About 850 million people around the world suffer from chronic
malnutrition, probably half of them children, according to
Morris.
Since 1979, the WFP has provided 70 volunteer food aid programs
to China, costing US$925 million.
The UN agency plans to phase out assistance to the country by
the end of 2005, given China attained overall food self-sufficiency
in the mid-1990s -- though there are still pockets of need, WFP
sources say.
"China simply doesn't need us today as it did 25 years ago, and
that's something to celebrate," Morris said at the weekend. "Our
objective wherever we work is to work ourselves out of a job."
Morris told China Daily the WFP wants to find ways to
take advantage of the technical skills that China has both in its
ability to reduce hunger and poverty and in its agricultural
production methods.
He said the WFP was especially interested in any advice China
could offer in relation to responding to natural disasters that
provoke sudden food shortages.
China has "great experience" in responding to emergencies,
earthquakes, droughts and floods, he said.
Morris said China has been helpful in the WFP's work around the
world. Since 2000, it has committed almost US$5 million for WFP
programs around the globe.
China has special insights, relationships and experience with
many of the places?where the WFP works and can play a very
important role in addressing some of the tough issues, Morris
said.
"We want technical help from China," he said. "We want to employ
more Chinese people in our programs all over the world.
"We intend to buy more food from China. We've spent about US$20
million buying food and services in China this year and we hope
that will grow.
"As China becomes a more prosperous economy, we want China to
become one of our major financial partners."
In his meeting with Morris on Friday, Chinese Vice Premier Hui
Liangyu praised the WFP's role in China's agricultural development
and poverty reduction.
(China Daily December 22, 2003)