Chinese Vice Premier Wen Jiabao met with Jacques Diouf,director-general of the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and his party Monday.

Wen expressed his gratitude for the FAO and Jacques Diouf's support in China's agricultural development.

He said that there are 800 million people in the world who are still starving, and that food security is a serious problem facing the world. He also said that China has achieved the balance between food supply and demand through decades of effort.

He pledged that the Chinese government will support the work of FAO, and will do more to help the developing countries in food security.

Jacques Diouf spoke highly of the achievements that the Chinese government has made in food security. He said that FAO and China have maintained good cooperation, and voiced the hope to further the cooperation.

Jacques Diouf is in Beijing at the invitation of the Ministry of Agriculture.

(Xinhua 09/4/2000)