At the invitation of the Chinese side, Mr. Olivier De Schutter, Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) visited China from December 15 to 23. Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Wu Hailong, Vice Minister of Agriculture Chen Xiaohua and Director of State Administration of Grain Nie Zhenbang met with Schutter respectively. Qi Xiaoxia, Special Representative for Human Rights of the Foreign Ministry held talks with Schutter. The Special Rapporteur also met with relevant officials from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the Ministry of Land and Resources and the Ministry of Environmental Protection to fully understand China’s efforts of promoting the realization of the right to food, building the social security system, protecting basic farmland and coping with the impact of climate change on agricultural production. Schutter visited Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the International Poverty Reduction Center in China and met with representatives of NGOs and research institutes such as All-China Women's Federation and China Agricultural University. He also visited a number of food processing enterprises. In Jinan and Laiwu of Shandong province, he exchanged views with the local government officials and experts and saw with his own eyes the development of local agriculture and rural areas and the life of farmers with whom he held talks. He expressed admiration on China’s huge achievements of agriculture and food security. He believes China’s successful experience of poverty reduction and development and grain output increase should be learned by other developing countries. He also raised suggestions and opinions on how to further realize the right to food in China.

The Chinese side attaches importance to the role of and cooperates closely with the UN human rights mechanisms. It supports the HRC’s efforts of promoting food security worldwide and the universal realization of the right to food. China has made unremitting efforts to realize the right to food and achieved world-acclaimed results over more than 30 years since reform and opening-up. Meanwhile, China remains a developing country and still faces numerous challenges of agricultural and rural development. China expects to learn from and share the successful experience with the international community. It will carefully study the Rapporteur’s suggestions and opinions.

The Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food is appointed according to relevant resolution of the UN HRC and responsible for studying how to promote the universal realization of the right to food worldwide and submitting reports to the UN. Schutter is a Belgian and took office from May 2008.