Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu called on all countries to enhance cooperation to ensure food security in his meeting with French agricultural minister on Sunday, the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture said on Monday.

"The key to resolving the food security issue is to take effective and comprehensive measures, coordinate actions and strengthen cooperation among all countries in the world, based on the principle of common development," Hui told Michel Barnier, French minister for agriculture and fisheries who is in Beijing to attend relevant activities of the Beijing Olympic Games.

Hui said the Chinese government attached great importance to agricultural production, and has increased its grain output for four consecutive years so far, which contributed to world food security.

He said agricultural cooperation between China and France has seen remarkable achievements in recent years, and he hoped the two sides would earnestly implement the bilateral joint statement on strengthening agricultural cooperation to further promote comprehensive development of China-France agricultural cooperation.

Hui also expressed his gratitude to the French government's assistance to China over the strong earthquake in Wenchuan, Sichuan Province.

Barnier said France was ready to make joint efforts with China to continuously promote agricultural cooperation between the two countries.

(Xinhua News Agency August 18, 2008)