China is third-largest food donor
21 July 2006
China was the world's third-largest food donor last year thanks to its growing shipments of wheat, flower and grain to North Korea, the Financial Times reported. According to the UN World Food Program, China accounted for 90% of the 576,582 tonnes of cross-border food aid received by Pyongyang in 2005. This was the driving force behind a 260% year-on-year increase in China's total food donations, which catapulted it into third place in the global standings behind the US and EU. It was only last year that China stopped receiving donations from the World Food Program. The government refused to comment on its food aid to North Korea; a Ministry of Commerce official said that such information was a state secret.
