How China ensures food security

November 26, 2023 CEN 0

How is China ensuring food security for 1.4 billion people? Although pandemics, extreme weather events, and geopolitical conflicts have led to disruptions in food supply chains and rising international food prices, there is no shortage of food for the world’s population. However, hunger continues to affect millions of people. According to the latest State of Food Insecurity and Nutrition in the World report, between 691 and 783 million people will go hungry […]

Nigeria benefits from Chinese solar

November 26, 2023 CEN 0

Off-grid solar systems present a valuable alternative for Nigerians affected by frequent blackouts. Nigeria has the largest population in Africa – 224 million people, placing it sixth in the world, just behind Indonesia and Pakistan, and more than the combined populations of Germany, France and the UK. Most Nigerians living in cities experience frequent power cuts, while three-quarters of rural Nigerians remain without access to electricity at all. One solution to this […]

Growing rice in the Dubai desert?

November 1, 2023 CEN 0

Chinese scientists successfully grow rice in Dubai desert. Rice is a food staple of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) yet the country is almost wholly reliant on food imports and food security is a national priority. In 2018, the UAE launched its National Food Security Strategy to increaseproduction by 30-40% in 10 years. The UAE’s plan is for half the food consumed in the Emirates to be produced locally by […]

China approves GM corn and soybean

October 29, 2023 CEN 0

China’s Food Security: Commercial use of genetically modified corn and soybeans approved. According to a report in the South China Morning Post, China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has approved genetically modified (GM) varieties of corn and soybean for commercial use after years of trials and public controversy over the technology’s safety. The shift comes as China renews its focus on food security and self-sufficiency, particularly for the mostly […]

Africa adopts Chinese hybrid rice

October 20, 2023 CEN 0

The water-saving and drought-resistant rice developed by the Shanghai Agrobiological Gene Center has passed various approvals in several African countries, such as Uganda in the second half of last year, according to a researcher at the center. Kenya and other African countries are part of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat for the conservation and sustainable use of waterlands, Liu Zaochang, head of the SAGC’s […]

Chinese diaspora paved the way for BRI

October 20, 2023 CEN 0

The biggest international trading venture in world history is 10 years old. But there’s an extraordinary tale behind the Belt and Road Initiative, or BRI. And that’s the story of the exceptional Chinese Diaspora experience, which laid the foundations for the infrastructure project’s success.  This Chinese macro-migration endeavor, individual by individual, long predates the remarkable BRI, which is, today, measurably retracing the diaspora’s pioneering footsteps. Richard Cullen reports. THIS YEAR, […]

A New History of the Chinese Zodiac

October 12, 2023 CEN 0

“My work has taught me that without humans, animals continue to thrive, but without animals, humans can barely move forward.” Professor Yuan Jing, Institute of Archaeology, CASS. When archaeologists unearthed homo erectus remains — the famous “Peking Man” — from a cave in what is now suburban Beijing in the 1920s, it made headlines around the world. But Peking Man wasn’t the only thing archaeologists found at the site: The […]

Abundant harvest of giant rice

September 11, 2023 CEN 0

The abundant harvest of giant rice in Guanxi region could play a key role in ensuring China’s food security. Chinese scientists have made a breakthrough in understanding the genetics of rice breeding that could lead to a healthier, higher-yield hybrid variety of the grain. Japonica and Indica rice are two widely grown varieties in China, each with distinct characteristics and geographical distributions. Hybrids of these two types are stronger and more […]

China to support African modernization

September 3, 2023 CEN 0

China will allocate more resources for Africa’s industrialisation and agricultural modernization – as well as train thousands of African students in vocational skills, Chinese President Xi Jinping promised African leaders during his visit to South Africa for the BRICS Summit. Meeting African leaders for the China-Africa Leaders’ Roundtable Dialogue at the end of the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, Xi said China would launch an initiative to support Africa’s industrialisation. Through the new proposal, the […]

Climate change affects China’s cropland

September 2, 2023 CEN 0

China experienced both extreme heat and “devastating” floods this summer, which had an impact” on food supplies and rice crops. This Carbon Brief article on how climate change is affecting China’s cropland, looks at arable land policies and potential impacts of climate on food security. Official Chinese data shows that at least 1.9m hectares (19,000km2) or 8% of wheat land in China have been affected by a sustained spate of rains – with […]