A senior Chinese official called for the establishment of a fair and reasonable multilateral trading system to address the steep food price hikes besetting the world.

"The food price hike is directly related to the distortion of international trading system," Du Ying, vice chairman of China's National Development and Reform Commission, told a meeting of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development.

"Developed countries should take measures to reduce trade distortion on agricultural produce, improve trading terms with developing countries so that those developing ones could fully play their the comparative advantages and boost their growth through trade," Du said.

He urged the international community to make joint efforts to maintain the normal food trading order in the world.

The Commission on Sustainable Development, meeting for the 16th annual gathering, focused its discussions on such issues as agriculture, rural development, land, drought, desertification and Africa.

(Xinhua News Agency May 15, 2008)