Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said China’s success in eradication of poverty, rural uplift and ensuring food security has been exemplary. “Sri Lanka wishes to thank your magnanimous contributions to the efforts of my country as well as other developing nations towards achieving food security,” he said, virtually addressing the International Forum on Hybrid Rice Assistance and Global Food Security in Beijing last weekend.
The Forum focused on China’s hybrid rice varieties that could revolutionize global food production and ensure food security.
The Prime Minister expressed deep appreciation to the People’s Republic of China and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who chaired the Forum for the efforts taken on behalf of the people of the world who are affected by food scarcity. Pointing out that such forums go a long way to enhance efforts towards food security through coordinated action, he expressed confidence that the Forum would come up with useful plans that would ensure global food security and speed up achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
China’s partnership towards food security in Sri Lanka has a long history as the Rubber–Rice Agreement between the two countries was signed way back in 1951, Premier Gunawardena said and recalled how the socialist leaders of Sri Lanka fought for the recognition of China, which was resisted by the pro-British government which ruled the country, after independence in 1948. The socialist leaders used every available forum to highlight this demand.
The leader of Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) Phillip Gunawardena, who attended the Fourth Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Regional Meeting for Asia and the Far East, held in 1959 in Tokyo, as Agriculture and Food Minister, urged the FAO to give membership to China. He ridiculed the West-dominated FAO for denying membership to China. “This conference is being held without China, the biggest producer of rice in the world. Considering that, Ceylon earnestly proposes to FAO to have China as a full member.”
Add new comment