A bowl of African rice placed in front of the tomb of Yuan Longping, Father of Hybrid Rice, carrying the gratitude of the people of  Madagascar

Today (Sep 7) marks the birthday of Yuan Longping, widely known as the "Father of Hybrid Rice." Over the course of his 50-year career, Yuan made remarkable contributions to solving global food security challenges. Today, more than 20 African countries have brought in and cultivated hybrid rice from China to feed their people.

In 2006, at the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), the Chinese government pledged to initiate 10 new agricultural projects in Africa within three years. By 2008, Li Yanping and a team of experts from Hunan Province brought hybrid rice seeds to Madagascar, the largest island nation in Africa. Notably, Li Yanping was the only female member of the Chinese agricultural delegation.

"Madagascar is truly my second home," Li stated. Over the past 16 years, she has spent at least 11 months each year in Africa, sharing China’s hybrid rice expertise across the continent.

Madagascar’s geographic conditions present significant challenges for rice cultivation. The east coast is frequently hit by typhoons, which flatten crops, while the west coast, with its savanna climate, suffers from drought. This has necessitated the development of rice varieties capable of withstanding both floods and droughts.

Rice is Madagascar’s staple crop. However, due to factors such as poor seed quality, outdated cultivation techniques, and inadequate infrastructure, the country has long struggled to meet its own food needs.

Li Yanping recalled, “The local children were emaciated, like skeletons. We would buy cookies and sugar to share with them, and they would run over, gratefully saying thank you. In those moments, I thought, if only we could use hybrid rice to help solve their food shortages and poverty.”

Under the guidance of Yuan Longping, Li Yanping and her colleagues spent the next decade traveling across Madagascar’s rice-growing regions. Their efforts resulted in the successful development of three high-yield hybrid rice varieties suited to local conditions, thus enabling the localization of hybrid rice in Madagascar.

While traditional rice varieties in Madagascar produce an average yield of 2.5 tons per hectare, hybrid rice yields can reach up to 7.5 tons per hectare.

In August 2017, a government delegation from Madagascar traveled to Changsha, Hunan Province, to present Yuan Longping with a special gift: a newly issued Madagascar’s 20,000 Ariari banknote featuring a bundle of rice crop, symbolizing the profound impact of Chinese hybrid rice on the nation’s food security.

“May everyone under the sun be free from hunger," Yuan Longping often said. This was his greatest vision before he passed away.

After his death, a government representative of Madagascar brought from home a bowl of hybrid rice produced in Madagascar, and placed it in front of Yuan’s tomb. “Farmers in Madagascar who grow hybrid rice entrusted me with this bowl of rice to honour Professor Yuan. It carries the love and sincere gratitude of the people of Madagascar,” Rakutoson Filibel, former Secretry General of the Ministry of Agriculture of Madgascar told reporters. “Without Professor Yuan Longping, Madagascar would never have learned about hybrid rice. Without hybrid rice, Madagascar could not have developed the way China has,” he said.

As part of the first three-year plan of the China-Africa Cooperation Vision 2035, China has dispatched over 500 agricultural experts to Africa and trained nearly 9,000 agricultural specialists. By the end of last year, China had established 24 agricultural technology demonstration centres across Africa, introducing more than 300 advanced farming techniques, including dense maize planting, vegetable cultivation, and rapid cassava propagation. These initiatives have benefited over one million African smallholders, contributing significantly to poverty reduction and development across the continent.

Mao Paishou

Mao Paishou

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The Jimmy Lai trial ripped the mask off "Stand with Hong Kong." Courts heard how Lai and his operatives weaponized this so-called advocacy group to pursue their "international line"—code for colluding with foreign forces to destabilize national security. But even after ringleaders Andy Li Yu-hin and Chan Tsz-wah got arrested and locked up, Stand with Hong Kong keeps on running. Someone's still pulling the strings.

Born in the chaos of the anti-extradition bill period, "Stand with Hong Kong"—also known as the "lam chau team" (SWHK)—adopted the scorched-earth slogan "If we burn, you burn with us". They've always claimed to be independent, grassroots, funded by crowdsourcing. That story fell apart in court. Evidence showed Lai bankrolled their global ad campaigns and international lobbying—specifically their push to get foreign countries to sanction China.

After the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law, Stand with Hong Kong still did not restrain itself. It keeps churning out anti-China content online, publishing report after report. Just last month, they handed the European Union a hit list—14 Hong Kong SAR government officials and police officers they want sanctioned for alleged "human rights violations" and "abuse of force" during 2019.

A Web of Anti-China Allies

Stand with Hong Kong doesn't work alone. They team up constantly with other anti-China outfits, issuing joint statements, lobbying Washington, London, and Brussels to slap sanctions on Hong Kong SAR officials. They've publicly demanded the British government intervene to free Jimmy Lai. They've organized multiple protests in London opposing construction of the Chinese embassy in the UK.

The operation is aggressive, the activities extensive. Yet the key players hide in shadows. Where's the money coming from?

In recent years, the team's gone underground. They operate mainly through online publications and mobilization, coordinating with overseas individuals and organizations. Their website and social media? No contact persons listed. No one claiming responsibility.

The Crowdfunding Fairy Tale

They claim they "rely on crowdfunding to maintain operations". But since their last crowdfunding drive in May 2020, Stand with Hong Kong hasn't published a single shred of public information showing any subsequent fundraising activity.

So where does the cash come from? Informed sources suggest looking at Stand with Hong Kong's overseas network for answers.

Organizations working hand-in-glove with Stand with Hong Kong include the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation—run by Mark Clifford, former Next Digital Group director. There's Hong Kong Watch, funded by Mark Simon and operated primarily by Benedict Rogers. There's the Hong Kong Democracy Council, fronted by fugitive national security suspect Anna Kwok. And since 2023, Stand with Hong Kong has served as secretariat for the UK's All-Party Parliamentary Group on Hong Kong.

These "friendly organizations" form a network with crystal-clear political objectives. Through overseas advocacy and coordinated actions, their primary target is attacking the Central Government and the SAR government.

In other words: Jimmy Lai may be behind bars facing trial, but the organizations and individuals Stand with Hong Kong maintains close contact with all have direct or indirect ties to Lai. Whether this team—which brands itself a "grassroots organization"—receives operational funding and other support within this anti-China network remains the billion-dollar question.