Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a written speech at the International Forum on Hybrid Rice Assistance and Global Food Security, which was held Saturday in Beijing.

In his speech, Xi noted that food security is fundamental to human survival. Half a century ago, hybrid rice was first successfully developed and planted widely in China. Thanks to this technology, China has managed to feed nearly 20 percent of the world's population with less than 9 percent of the world's arable land, and become the largest food producer and the third largest food exporter in the world.

From 1979, hybrid rice began to be introduced to the world, benefitting nearly 70 countries across five continents. This has been a remarkable contribution to their grain output increase and agricultural development, and offered a Chinese solution to food shortages in developing countries, Xi said.

At present, global food security faces severe challenges and complexities, China will continue to work with all countries in a spirit of solidarity and a shared future to advance the Global Development Initiative, scale up cooperation on food security and poverty reduction, and make a greater contribution to the speedy implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to building a world free from hunger and poverty, said the Chinese president.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the forum, where he stressed that China is willing to work with the international community in preserving the global security of food and making more contributions to achieving the goals of UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

(Cover: Long Chunjiu (L), chief scientist of Longping South Asia Seed Research and Development Ltd., and research manager Wasim Waheed work in a rice field in Lahore of Punjab province in Pakistan, July 10, 2019. /Xinhua)