BEIJING, Dec. 16 -- The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) said its 26-year program of food aid to China will officially end this year, and called on Beijing to play a bigger role as a global donor.  

James Morris, the WFP executive director, speaks during a press conference at the United Nations' headquarters in Beijing December 15, 2005. Citing China's achievement in poverty alleviation, Morris said WFP will end food aid to China. (AP)

    "Over the last 26 years, China has moved more than 300 million people out of poverty by its own standards," WFP executive director James Morris told reporters while in Beijing for a two-day visit.

    "It's truly one of mankind's great accomplishments over the last 100 years."

    The final shipment of food to China was delivered in April, with the program slated to officially finish by the end of 2005, the WFP said.

    The WFP has given China aid valued at more than one billion dollars since 1979, feeding more than 30 million people mostly in remote central and western regions. China has invested 1.2 billion dollars toward that effort.

    The WFP said China now produces and imports enough food to ensure its population of 1.3 billion people receive an average 3,000 calories a day, "which is appreciably higher than the world average."

    Morris said China, having graduated from aid recipient to donor, should now share its success with the rest of the world, adding he had already discussed with Chinese officials how to make the nation a bigger global donor.

    "China is an important citizen of the world and as an important citizen of the world you have all sorts of responsibilities that go along with it," Morris said on Thursday.

    "I'm hoping that over time the World Food Programme will have quite a remarkable partnership and that together we'll use our strengths and China's strengths to address the hunger issue around the world."

    Beijing has already increased aid for international emergencies, including relief efforts following the tsunami disaster in Asia last year.

    The WFP is negotiating with China for a "stand-by agreement" that would allow it to use China's emergency response capacity to deal with food crises, Morris said.

    The WFP currently has about 15 such agreements with other countries.

    "The world has a lot to learn from China's approach and commitment to the issue of hunger and poverty," said Morris. "It has one of the best processes for feeding hungry people. They know how."

    Morris said China's help was needed as there were more people around the world today without adequate nutrition than 15 years ago.

    He cited UN figures that 852 million people around the world suffer from chronic hunger, 300 million of whom are children. Enditem

    (Source: China Daily/AP)