Chinese vice premier calls on APEC members to bolster food security

China stands ready to work with all Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies to build a more stable food security system, Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong said on Tuesday.

Liu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 11th APEC Food Security Ministerial Meeting in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province.

Stressing the vital role APEC plays in safeguarding global food security, Liu called on APEC economies to jointly strengthen the foundation for food security by leveraging their own resource endowments.

Liu proposed strengthening innovation-driven development and deepening cooperation in agricultural science and technology, while keeping trade flows smooth to safeguard the security and stability of food supply chains.

He also called for stronger policy synergy to ensure food security.

As a flagship event of the APEC "China Year," the meeting brought together around 200 delegates from the 21 APEC economies, the APEC Secretariat and other international organizations.

It featured policy dialogues on agricultural and rural development, technological innovation and digital agriculture for food security. (Cover: Farmers tend seed fields in Jiuquan, northwest China's Gansu Province, July 23, 2026. /VCG)