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.
Chinese vice premier calls for joint efforts from APEC members to bolster food security
Retired American teacher Ronald Sakolsky has shared his emotions at being able to enjoy a "dream" reunion with Chinese desert-control pioneer Yin Yuzhen, after the pair met to reflect on their desertification-control efforts a whole 27 years after their first encounter.
The remarkable story stretches all the way back to 1999, when Sakolsky was teaching English at a school in central China's Henan Province under a teachers' exchange program between the U.S. and China.
After watching a television news report featuring the tireless work of Yin, he was deeply moved and raised 5,000 U.S. dollars to help Yin and her husband in their afforestation efforts against desertification in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
Months later, at the invitation of local officials, Sakolsky traveled to the desert to meet Yin in person. In a symbolic gesture, Yin kept one dollar as a souvenir of Sakolsky's kindness, while she also bought 50,000 saplings to plant.
After that brief visit deep in the heart of the expansive Mu Us Desert, the two lost touch and their transcontinental friendship faded with time.
But, in an incredible twist, that all changed earlier this year, when a public campaign across Chinese social media successfully tracked down the now 69-year-old Sakolsky in the United States.
The renewed connection quickly led to an online clamor for the pair to have a long-overdue reunion, and finally Sakolsky arrived in Ordos City on Sunday to once again meet Yin in person.
In a touching interview with the China Global Television Network (CGTN), Sakolsky could not hide his joy at this dream meeting becoming a reality, as he said the unexpected get together felt very different to how he had imagined it.
"It's definitely different, because I can touch her. In my imagination, it is just in my head. But I can touch her, I can hug her, and I can watch her cry and cry with her. I say it's a miracle because nobody could tell me that I would ever come to China in 1999. Definitely nobody could tell me that I would be back in China in 2026. But when you can touch your dream, it becomes a reality. It's not a dream anymore. So these last two days have been reality for me," said Sakolsky.
Seated next to him, Yin highlighted the importance of always keeping one's promises, no matter how long has passed.
"I believe that first, you have to be a good person, and then you can do things well," she said.
The passage of time between their first meeting is poignantly seen in the land cultivated by Yin. The small swathe of green she started over a quarter of a century ago has now expanded to more than 8 million trees, covering more than 11,000 acres of once-barren land.
US teacher shares emotion at "dream" reunion with Chinese desert-control pioneer
