On July 10, 2009, on behalf of President Hu Jintao, State Councillor Dai Bingguo attended the working session devoted to food security of the outreach session of the G-8 Summit in L'Aquila, Italy.

Dai pointed out in his speech that global grain price hikes in the first half of last year inflicted heavy damage on developing countries, especially African ones, and posed a grave challenge to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. Currently the world grain prices have dipped, but are still maintained at a pretty high level, reflecting the severity of the potential risks on food security. Many nations are concerned that even after the current world financial crisis is overcomed, the world might still be facing a daunting food crisis.

Developing countries, particularly those in Africa, are vulnerable due to the weak economic and social basis. If we say the international financial crisis has affected development, then the food crisis will have a direct bearing on our survival. Compared with the financial crisis, the impact of the food crisis on developing countries, in particular, on African nations, will be more direct, more extensive, more devastating and lingering for a longer term. Once a food crisis occurs, it will not only affect the daily life of the poor in the world, but also undermine the efforts made by developing nations to cope with the impact of the international financial crisis and boost economic recovery, and bring about serious social and security problems.

Dai said the international community should view and address the food issue from the overall perspective of survival and development of mankind, establish a food security net that combines early warning, macro-control and emergency relief, and formulate a food security strategy that is both coordinated and sustainable. To that end, the Chinese side proposes the following:

First, strike a balance between food supply and demand. Bearing in mind the need to cope with the impact of the international financial crisis and boost world economic recovery, we should increase agricultural input, enhance international agricultural cooperation, actively conduct R&D in science and technology, and break the technological bottlenecks to increase grain output and ensure food supply, so that food supply and demand can maintain an overall balance.

Second, strike a balance between agricultural development and assistance. Developing countries should proceed from the national conditions, constantly raise agricultural productivity, and make efforts to elevate the grain self-sufficiency ratio, while developed countries and international organizations should, on the basis of respecting the sovereignty of recipient countries, increase the agricultural assistance to developing countries, particularly the least developed ones, and provide support for them in terms of funding, technology, market, credit and intellectual input.

Third, strike a balance between our own interests and common interests. We should not only ensure the food supply for our own country and boost our own agricultural development, but should also oppose protectionism and improve the international trading environment for agricultural products. Developed countries should, in the Doha Round agricultural negotiations, show greater sincerity and demonstrate more flexibility towards the cutting of agricultural subsidies.

Fourth, strike a balance between energy and food security. The development and utilization of bio-energy is closely related to food and energy security. Its excessive development will be coupled with the consumption of a huge amount of grain resources. However, underdevelopment of it may exacerbate the energy crisis. While safeguarding global food security, we need to ensure that the use of bio-energy neither steals food from people's mouth, nor steals land from grain growing to strive for a sustainable development and utilization of bio-energy.

Dai further noted that the food issue is, in its essence, a development issue. Only with development can developing countries, especially those in Africa, eradicate the food crisis from its root. The negative impact of the current international financial crisis on Africa's development is still deepening. If strong and timely measures fail to be taken, the hard-won achievements in Africa's development might be nullified. To help African nations avoid this scenario, we should make efforts by focusing on the following aspects:

First, improve the external environment for Africa. African nations not only need funding but also policy space. Relevant countries shall improve the external environment for African development in multiple fields, such as politics, economy, finance and trade. The international community should safeguard peace and stability in the African region and play a constructive role in addressing the internal differences and disputes of Africa. A new international financial order featured by fairness, impartiality, inclusiveness and orderliness should be established to ensure smooth financing for Africa and give an impetus to the economic development and foreign trade of African nations. Support should be given to the WTO's efforts to mobilize aid for trade, and protectionism must be opposed so that the Doha Round negotiations can achieve a comprehensive and balanced outcome.

Second, increase assistance for Africa in the various fields. Despite the fact that the international financial crisis is still spreading and deepening, assistance to Africa should be increased instead of being reduced. Developed nations should assume primary responsibilities, and honor their commitments to official development assistance as early as possible, while developing countries should also expand and deepen cooperation with their African counterparts. The international community must implement the consensus reached at the G-20 Summit in London concerning increasing funding for international financial institutions, debt relief, trade financing and preferential loans, ensure that the newly invested resources are prioritized for developing countries, especially those African ones, and help them cope with the crisis and develop their economies.

Third, enhance capacity building for Africa. In the final analysis, African nations should basically rely on themselves for development. Blood transfusion is only an expediency in response to emergency. Only haemopoiesis can eradicate the problem. In recent years, African countries have made remarkable achievements in strengthening governance and boosting economic growth. The African Union (AU) and the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) have become a symbol of unity and self-improvement of African countries. Against the backdrop of the international financial crisis, the international community should combine assistance to Africa with capacity building for African nations, and combine the assistance projects with technology transfer and market fostering, so as to improve Africa's ability to develop on its own.

Dai said China attaches great importance to agriculture, particularly the grain issue, and stick to the food security policy of relying on domestic production, ensuring substantial self-sufficiency and making appropriate use of imports and exports to adjust surplus and shortfall. China has fed around 20% of the world population with about 9% of the world's arable land. This, in itself, is a great contribution to world food security. Over the years, China's grain self-sufficiency ratio has always been maintained at a level over 95%, with the net annual export volume of wheat, rice, corn and other major cereals standing at 8 million tons, making its due contributions to guaranteeing world grain supply and stabilizing international grain prices. At the same time, China has maintained a high level of free trade for agricultural products, its average tariff level being only 1/4 of the world average. Currently, there are over 20 agricultural technology demonstration centers set up or being set up abroad by China, and decision has been made to increase the number to 30. In addition, last year, China decided to double the number of agricultural experts and technicians sent abroad, provided agricultural training in China for participants from other developing countries for 3000 person/times, and donated 30 million U.S. dollars to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for setting up a trust fund.

Within the framework of South-South Cooperation, China has provided assistance to other developing countries, especially those in Africa, within the limits of its available resources. China's assistance to Africa is sincere, open and win-win for both sides, without any political strings attached, without any interference with the internal affairs of the recipient countries, and without undermining their interests. This is not only beneficial to the unity and cooperation among developing nations, but also conducive to world peace and development. After the international financial crisis broke out, the Chinese government had, within the limits of its available resources, increased assistance to Africa, carried out debt relief, expanded trade investment and earnestly implemented the 8-point policies determined at the Beijing Summit of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum concerning the enhancement of practical cooperation with Africa and the support for development of African countries. We stand ready to join forces with our African friends in promoting the 4th Ministerial-level Conference of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum, slated for the 4th quarter of this year, to bear fruitful results.

Leaders of G-8 and some developing nations, including some from Africa, attended the meeting.