China ships rice to Africa, to ease famine

'Food security deteriorating' in many places; country's aid 'always timely'

Thousands of metric tons of rice donated by China to Somalia, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo were shipped from Shanghai on Friday afternoon.

The move came as part of China's food assistance this year to the United Nations World Food Programme to help address food security challenges in those countries, as well as in the Republic of Congo and Lesotho.