Mr. Qu Dongyu, Vice Minister of Agriculture, met with Mr. Nicholas Rosellini, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in China, and exchanged views on enhancing agricultural cooperation between China and the UN in Beijing on 3 March 2017.
Mr. Qu noted that the Chinese government highly values and appreciates the UN's active role in promoting multilateral agricultural cooperation. The UN's Sustainable Development Goals of 2030 are highly consistent with China's strategic development goals, and finding proper solutions to issues concerning agriculture, the rural community and farmers remains a top priority for China's sustainable development for now and the future. As the world's largest developing country, China, bringing itself closer to the sustainable development goals of 2030, will constitute a major contribution to the world. In recent years, while promoting its own agricultural development and poverty alleviation through various means, the Chinese government has also provided support to the best of its ability for other developing countries through innovative mechanisms such as the China-FAO South-South Cooperation and tripartite cooperation, benefiting food security and poverty eradication in those countries. Mr. Qu hoped that UN agencies could play a more visible role in global agriculture and food affairs and underpin the implementation of China's Belt and Road Initiative.
Mr. Rosellini appreciated MOA's long-time support to the UN. He said that China has maintained close ties with UN agencies in the field of agriculture and achieved fruitful results. The UN is willing to continue cooperation with China and make greater contribution to agricultural development and poverty reduction in China and the world at large.
Mr. Vincent Martin, FAO Representative in China, and Ms. Caroline Legros, Deputy Director of WFP China Office, attended the meeting.