Bilateral meeting with H.E. CHEN Xiaodong, Chair of the China International Development Cooperation Agency

Beijing – FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu, met with H.E. Mr. CHEN, Chair of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), for an in‑depth working discussion.

H.E. CHEN Xiaodong warmly welcomed the Director-General and expressed appreciation for FAO’s technical role across different regions. He reaffirmed China’s commitment to global food security and sustainable agricultural development, and underscored the desire to enhance cooperation efficiency, noting the important coordination role played by the FAO Representation in Beijing to facilitate engagement across the region. He also indicated China’s readiness to leverage the 2026 World Food Forum, and World Food Day, platform to showcase partnership results to further strengthen collaboration.

The Director‑General thanked China for its longstanding support and outlined FAO’s reform progress and strengthened operational capacity. He recommended channeling South–South Cooperation through CIDCA with multi‑year, multi‑country portfolios rather than fragmented small projects, and advised making full use of FAO’s existing country networks to improve cost‑effectiveness. He proposed operationalizing project offices in Hainan and Xinjiang, focusing respectively on tropical agriculture and Central Asia/arid‑zone cooperation, in close linkage with Chinese research institutions.

The Director‑General reaffirmed FAO’s readiness to deepen collaboration for more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, and looked forward to strengthening cooperation including through the World Food Forum and World Food Day platforms.