Chinese State Councilor Shen Yiqin attended the opening ceremony of the 25th Winter Olympic Games on Friday in Milan, Italy, upon invitation.
Ahead of the ceremony, Shen held a cordial conversation with Italian President Sergio Mattarella, conveyed warm greetings from Chinese President Xi Jinping, and wished the Games a great success. She also thanked the Italian side for its arrangements in hosting the Chinese sports delegation.
Mattarella asked Shen to convey his sincere greetings to President Xi, said he hopes that Chinese athletes will achieve excellent results at the Games, and thanked the Chinese government for its valuable support for Italy's hosting of the Winter Olympics.
On Saturday, Shen met with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry. Shen said China is willing to deepen the high-level cooperation with the IOC, so as to promote world peace and advance the building of a community with a shared future for humanity through sports.
For her part, Coventry thanked the Chinese government for its firm support and significant contribution to the Olympic cause. Meanwhile, she expressed hope for continued close cooperation with China to carry forward the Olympic spirit and inject more positive energy into the current turbulent world.
Chinese state councilor attends opening ceremony of Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics
Global food commodity prices climbed for a second consecutive month in March, driven mainly by higher energy costs linked to escalating conflict in the Middle East, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said in report released on Friday.
The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of a basket of globally traded food commodities, averaged 128.5 points in March, up 2.4 percent from February and 1.0 percent above its level a year ago.
According to the report, the FAO Vegetable Oil Index and Sugar Price Index showed the largest increases, up 5.1 percent and 7.2 percent, respectively.
The FAO Cereal Price Index increased by 1.5 percent from the previous month, driven primarily by higher world wheat prices, which rose 4.3 percent.
The FAO Meat Price Index rose by 1.0 percent from the previous month, and the FAO All-Rice Price Index declined by 3.0 percent in March, according to the report.
FAO stated that rising energy and fertilizer prices have been driving up agricultural input costs.
If the conflict stretches beyond 40 days, farmers will have to choose to farm the same with fewer inputs, plant less, or switch to less intensive fertilizer crops, according to FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero.
These choices will hit future yields and shape food supply and commodity prices for the rest of this year and beyond, Torero said.
Global food prices rise for 2nd consecutive month in March amid Middle East conflict: FAO
