China to continue bolstering its food security

China will keep ensuring national food security and improving its ability to deal with uncertainties related to its socioeconomic development, a senior official said on the sidelines of the ongoing 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

Cong Liang, director of the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration, said China's ability to ensure its national food security continues to improve, with grain output reaching a record high of 683 million metric tons last year.

"The grain reserve network has been further improved, effectively playing a key role in maintaining the bottom line, stabilizing expectations and ensuring security," he said on Monday at a news conference held by the Press Center for the congress.

The network consists of 6,000 grain processing enterprises, 53,000 supply stations and other facilities that can be tapped in case of major natural disasters or public emergencies.

While the international grain market is dealing with increasing fluctuations, China's food supply is stable, abundant and able to meet consumers' demands.

"With good grain condition, our rice bowls have managed to be firmly held in the hands of Chinese people and are mainly filled with Chinese food," Cong said.

Meanwhile, China will enhance its reserve capacity and optimize the structure of reserves so that key produce can be prepared and stored well, made available for deployment and used at critical times, he said.

He added that China will improve the adjustment mechanism of its national reserve market to ensure the supply and price of bulk commodities, and maintain the security and stability of the supply of primary products.