Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu Wednesday called on all Asia-European Meeting (ASEM) members to strengthen cooperation in the agricultural sector.

"The prospects of cooperation in agriculture will be very broad" for ASEM members that covers 40 percent of the world's population, with their combined GDP accounting for 50 percent of the world's total, Hui said at the ASEM High-Level Conference on Agricultural Cooperation held in Beijing.

Hui, on behalf of the Chinese government, called on ASEM members to establish a partnership for cooperation between Asia and Europe in the agricultural sector, and to actively explore ways for success.

While promoting the cooperation, ASEM members should take full consideration of the past and present imbalances in the economic development of various members, recognize differences, seek common ground and reserve differences, expand the scope of exchange, learn from each other, show respect for each other, and pursue equality and mutual benefits, he suggested.

The members should also take into consideration both their immediate interests and the long-term interests of the world, and carry out substantive cooperation in such fields as agricultural technology, standardization and management.

Hui said the Chinese government pays close attention to the steady growth of agriculture and well-coordinated economic and social development in rural areas. After decades of hard struggle, China has accomplished a historic transition from chronic shortages in major agricultural products to a general balance between overall supply and demand, with surpluses during years of good harvest.

The number of rural people living in poverty has been dramatically reduced and the standard of living of farmers has witnessed marked improvement, he said.

In its endeavor to build a moderately wealthy society in an all-round way, China will continue to pursue policies of reform and opening up and earnestly fulfill its commitments to the World Trade Organization.

"China values its relations with the neighboring countries and with the European Union and hopes that the cooperation with ASEM members will be further strengthened," said Hui.

Wednesday's meeting is the first high-level conference held by ASEM on agriculture since its founding in 1996. Major topics open to discuss covers such issues as agricultural policy, trade and investment, sustainable agricultural development and organic agriculture, farm product quality and safety control, and agricultural bio-technology.

(Xinhua News Agency November 13, 2003)