FAO leads international efforts to build a world free of hunger and malnutrition where food and agriculture contribute to improving the living standards for all, especially the poorest, in an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable way.

As a developing country with over 1.3 billion population, China always attaches high importance to food and agriculture development. After resuming its membership in 1973, China has been maintaining close cooperation with FAO. In 1982, FAO announced the establishment of a Representation Office in China. Not long thereafter the country entered an important era of “Reform and Opening-up”.

After three decades of economic reform, China has become the second largest economy in the World. In the 21st century, FAO’s cooperation with China has entered a new era. In addition to receiving needed assistance, China has become one of the major supporters to the FAO led endeavours to fight hunger and food insecurity through offering its successful experience to the rest of the developing world.

FAO’s Work in China

China is now in its 14th Five-Year Development Period (2021-2025), and FAO, together with multiple stakeholders in the country, has developed the Country Programming Framework (CPF) for 2021-2025, which is positioned to provide strategic support for China to promote all-round rural revitalization in the post-pandemic era, ensuring food security and promoting high-quality agricultural development. Meanwhile, it is envisaged to step up cooperation with China in global food and agricultural governance and promote the implementation of Global Development Initiative in the agriculture sector, sharing China’s progress and experience in poverty reduction, agricultural development and 2030 agenda implementation with the international community. It sets out three priority areas:

• Supporting people and prosperity and better production and better nutrition through rural revitalization
• Protecting planet and better environment through a sustainable and resilient agri-food systems
• Enhancing partnership and better life through international and regional agriculture cooperation

Perspectives

Despite the country’s rapid rise, China remains a developing country striving for a balanced and low carbon development pathway embracing modernization and industrialization drive that is concomitantly equitable as well as environmentally sustainable and climate friendly. China has recognized this to be essential both for its own environmental sustainability and to contain climate change globally. China thus continues to seek FAO’s assistance in addressing various aspects of this complex equation and FAO is determined to continue its support to China in the future. To this end, FAO and China have jointly formulated the 2021-2025 Country Programming Framework for enhanced, focused and effective collaboration.