South-South cooperation with China boosts agriculture in Uganda: official

The South-South cooperation with China has boosted productivity, incomes and sustainable development in Uganda's farming sector, said Rose Kabagyeni, the African country's senior presidential advisor for agricultural matters on Tuesday.

Speaking during an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) in Lushan County of Ya'an City in Sichuan in the southwest during her visit to China, Kabagyeni also emphasized the knowledge and skills sharing facilitated by the cooperation, particularly in areas like integrated rural development.

Kabagyeni led a delegation to study Sichuan's farming experiences from April 12 to 19, hoping to bolster sustainable development in Uganda's agriculture.

Kabagyeni noted that China's rural revitalization model serves as a tangible and replicable case study that can be applied to improve agriculture in Uganda.

"This visit in Sichuan has really improved our understanding about rural development, about sustainable natural resource management, for example, have learned how water for irrigation, water for agricultural production, and water for domestic use, has been utilized, unlike in Uganda, where we have been hit by droughts instead of learning how to.. we have learned how to utilize our water instead of causing floods. We are now willing to convert all that water to improve our water for domestic use and agriculture production," said Kabagyeni.

She also highlighted the FAO-China South-South Cooperation Program, which has introduced Chinese agricultural products for cultivation in Uganda, boosting farmers' incomes and catalyzing broader economic growth.

The Global South cooperation mechanisms and China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) have helped Uganda address local challenges and foster sustainable growth in several ways, facilitating the transfer of knowledge and skills related to integrated rural development, said Kabagyeni.

Specifically, 56 Ugandans have received training in biome production and utilization, which Kabagyeni views as a significant achievement of this South-South cooperation.

Kabagyeni said the visit has generated optimism about attracting investment to replicate similar projects in Uganda, which she believes will help reduce poverty and drive sustainable development in the country's rural areas.

"Among the things we have done while we are in China, we have been able to visit very many factories in the agricultural development, in addition, development in the food processing, that even attracted investors that are going to invest back home in Uganda. We believe when all this combines together, it's going to help reduce poverty among the people, but overall improve agricultural development while improving the income of our rural people," she said.

South-South cooperation with China boosts agriculture in Uganda: official

China urges the United States to stop utilizing the World Health Assembly (WHA) to create confusion on issues related to China's Taiwan region, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Thursday in response to the U.S. strong support for Taiwan's observer status at the WHA this year.

The statement by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, which "strongly encourages" the World Health Organization (WHO) to invite to Taiwan to participate as an observer at this year's WHA, seriously violates the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. Joint Communiqués. China strongly deplores and firmly opposes it, said the spokesperson in a statement posted on the official website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Noting that there is but one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, the spokesperson said China's position on the Taiwan region's participation in the activities of international organizations, including the WHO, is consistent and clear: it must be handled under the one-China principle, which is also a basic principle enshrined in United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 2758 and WHA Resolution 25.1.

As the Democratic Progressive Party authorities in Taiwan have stubbornly stuck to the separatist position, the political foundation for Taiwan region's participation in the WHA no longer exists. The U.S. statement presents this matter in a misleading way essentially to connive at and support Taiwan separatist activities, said the spokesperson.

Stressing that the Taiwan question is at the core of China's core interests and the Number One red line that must not be crossed in China-U.S. relations, the spokesperson urged the U.S. to earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. Joint Communiqués, observe international law and the basic norms governing international relations, act on the U.S. leader's commitment of not supporting "Taiwan independence," "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan," stop using the WHA to create confusion on Taiwan-related issues, and avoid sending wrong signals to Taiwan separatist forces.

Enjoying extensive support from the international community, the one-China principle is where global opinion trends and where the arc of history bends. There's no denying or stopping of that trend, said the spokesperson.

The spokesperson also warned that any attempt to play the "Taiwan card" and use Taiwan to contain China will meet firm opposition by the international community and is doomed to failure.

China urges U.S. to stop using World Health Assembly to create confusion on Taiwan-related issues