principle of seeking common ground while reserving differences, and help forge a new North-South partnership featuring equality, mutual benefit, cooperation and win-win progress. Through intensified consultation with developed countries, we may urge them to pay more attention to the voice of developing countries. We should make full use of international resources for the benefit of global development.

Fourth, work together to fulfill our responsibilities. Most of the hot-spot issues in today's world directly affect the interests of developing countries. We have the need and the responsibility to work together to exert positive influence on global affairs, increase the say of developing countries and make greater contribution to the building of a harmonious world of enduring peace and common prosperity. Our present task is to strive for substantive results beneficial to developing countries at important international conferences such as the upcoming UN high-level event on Millennium Development Goals and the follow-up meeting on financing for development.

In a word, we the five countries have vast potential for cooperation and there is a lot we can do in upholding world peace and promoting common development. Strengthening our solidarity and cooperation serves not only the interests of our own people but also the common interests of people all over the world.

Dear colleagues,

Recently, soaring food prices have become a pressing issue in the world economy. High food prices have added to the difficulties of the global poverty reduction efforts and affected regional stability. Developing countries suffer most from rising food prices and we the five countries have also been affected to varying degrees. It is worth noting that recently, there has been an argument stressing the so-called "responsibility of big developing countries," an argument which blames the development of big developing countries for the worldwide food price rise. This is not a responsible attitude. The causes for rising food prices are in fact multi-faceted and complex. The international community can maintain world food security only by increasing cooperation and taking comprehensive measures.

We the five countries are all major grain producers and consumers. Therefore, we should jointly encourage the international community to act more actively to ensure food security. We need to support and facilitate the efforts of the Task Force on Global Food Security Crisis to work out an international cooperation framework on food security. We should increase coordination and carry out technological exchanges and cooperation in such practical areas as planting, disease and pest prevention and grain reserves. We should take an active part in international discussions on food security, let more people appreciate our efforts and contribution in maintaining world food security and help ensure that these discussions will progress in a direction that serves the interest of developing countries.

Within the framework of South-South cooperation, China is ready to share experience in agricultural development with other developing countries, and provide help as its capacity allows, including sending more agricultural technicians, training more professionals in agricultural technology and management and further increasing agricultural assistance to them, so that together, we can raise the integrated agricultural production capacity of developing countries.

Thank you!

(Source: www.fmprc.gov.cn)