Pledge not to stop rice exports lauded

A senior UN official has praised China for not stopping rice exports amid an international food crisis, calling it a "politically responsible stance".

"This is not only a commitment from the business sector, but also a political signal from the Chinese government to stabilize global grain prices," Wang Ren, director of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, told China Daily yesterday.

Wang's organization is a research alliance affiliated to the UN which tries to achieve sustainable food security and reduce poverty through research in agriculture, forestry, fisheries, policy and the environment.