(Photo/Xinhua)

China has the ability to fully control its food supply as the fundamentals of the country’s food production have maintained a healthy trend toward stable growth, said Han Changfu, Chinese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

The ability derives from the country’s implementation of a national food security strategy based on domestic supply, moderate imports, maintenance of agricultural productivity and innovation in science and technology.

“The bowls of the Chinese, in any situation, must rest soundly in our own hands. Our bowls should be filled mainly with Chinese grain.” These remarks from Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed the country’s confidence in its food security.

The government’s emphasis on agriculture and supporting policies have encouraged grain production.

China’s total grain output reached 658 billion kilograms in 2018, managing to feed around 20 percent of the world’s population with less than 9 percent of the world’s arable land, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

The country strictly adheres to the red line of no less than 1.8 billion mu (120 million hectares) of arable land, implements unique systems to protect about 1.55 billion mu of permanent basic cropland, and plans to build at least 80 million mu of high-standard farmland by 2020, underpinning the sufficient supply of major agricultural products.

The overall level of mechanization in plowing, sowing, and harvesting is now at 68 percent, and advances in agricultural science and technology contributed to 58.3 percent of agricultural production.

In addition, China continuously optimizes its agricultural structure, deepens supply-side reform, and pursues green development in agriculture, ensuring food production sustainability.

By guaranteeing food security, China can continue to be fully confident in response to the complicated international situation.