The 10th APEC Food Security Ministerial Meeting was held in Incheon, Republic of Korea, on Aug. 10, with Han Jun, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, leading the Chinese delegation. 

Minister Han pointed out that China has always regarded food security as a top priority for state governance. To safeguard its food security, China has enacted the Food Security Law, adhered to the strategy of increasing grain production through soil conservation and technological progress, and improved its capacities for food production, storage, distribution, and processing. China has introduced a number of policies and measures in areas such as preserving farmland and improving land quality, developing and promoting better crop varieties, enhancing agricultural mechanization, improving farmer training, and advancing disaster prevention and mitigation in agriculture, thereby achieving steady progress in its comprehensive grain production capacity.  

China attaches great importance to the application of artificial intelligence in its agricultural and food systems. In recent years, smart agricultural machinery, including agricultural drones and autonomous driving systems, has been rapidly adopted; fully intelligent farming models for hogs, dairy cattle, and egg-laying poultry are now well established; and a number of high-level smart farms and smart ranches have demonstrated remarkable production results.  

China is ready to work with all APEC member economies to take concerted actions, further strengthen the APEC agricultural cooperation mechanism, enhance policy dialogue, deepen practical cooperation, and promote technology sharing, mutual recognition of standards, and the availability and accessibility of technologies in the field of smart agriculture. Together, APEC member economies can drive innovation in agricultural and food systems across the Asia-Pacific region, thus making greater contributions to ensuring global food security and promoting regional prosperity and stability. 

In his remarks at the closing session, Minister Han stated that food security is the cornerstone of regional prosperity and stability. In the face of multiple challenges such as climate change and supply chain instability, it is essential to continuously deepen regional cooperation on food security. This year’s Food Security Ministerial Meeting featured candid exchanges and agreements on numerous issues. The gathering will play a positive role in encouraging all APEC member economies to uphold the vision of a community with a shared future, deepen cooperation on food security, and strengthen food security in the Asia-Pacific. China will adhere to the vision of promoting universally beneficial and inclusive development in the Asia-Pacific, make thorough preparations for APEC 2026 agricultural events, build a high-quality and efficient platform for exchanges in the agricultural sector, and promote the establishment of a new, open, and interconnected pattern of agricultural cooperation in the Asia-Pacific. 

The meeting, with the theme “Driving Innovation in Agri-food Systems for Shared Prosperity,” was chaired by Song Miryung, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of the Republic of Korea, the host country. The Joint Statement on the APEC 2025 Food Security Ministerial Meeting was adopted.