At a news briefing in Beijing on Thursday, James Morris, executive director of the UN World Food Program (WFP) said a strong partnership between it and China could have enormous bearing on the fight against global hunger.

"The WFP and China know that the problem of global hunger can be solved because it has been addressed so impressively here. China has the expertise and resources that we need to address the problem of hunger worldwide" said Morris.

Morris is on a two-day visit to China that includes meetings with Vice Premier Hui Liangyu, Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and Vice Minister of Agriculture Zhang Baowen to discuss further cooperation after the WFP ends its food aid assistance at the end of this year.

The last WFP shipment, containing 43,450 tons of wheat worth nearly US$7.2 million, arrived at Shenzhen's Chigang Port on April 7 before being distributed to poverty reduction programs in Gansu, Guangxi, Ningxia and Shanxi.

The organization has assisted 30 million Chinese since 1980, mostly in remote central and western regions, helping to meet their immediate food needs and facilitating the creation of community-level assets through food-for-work and food-for-training programs.

The total food aid it has provided is worth almost US$1 billion, and its infrastructure programs helped build roads, irrigation systems and drinking water facilities.

As China's need for aid has reduced, its donations to other countries through the WFP have increased.

China offered US$1 million in tinned fish to victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and more than US$5 million in total to the WFP over the past four years.

"China has increased its donations and is becoming a stronger donor in our global fight against hunger," said Morris.

(Xinhua News Agency December 16, 2005)