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BEIJING, Aug 20 (Xinhuanet) — China will start shipments of food aid to northeast African countries by the end of this month to ease famine caused by severe drought in the region, an official from the Ministry of Commerce said on Friday.

The shipments from Tianjin port will be scheduled on a weekly basis and last for a month, said Yu Yingfu, deputy director general of the Department of Aid to Foreign Countries at the ministry.

“Measures have been taken to ensure that the food aid could be transferred to Africa at the earliest possible time and we will continue following the situation in the drought-stricken areas and be ready for further aid,” Yu said.

The worst drought in 60 years has struck northeast Africa in recent months. Rain in some countries was less than 5 percent of normal precipitation. Food production has seriously dropped, causing widespread famine.

More than 12.4 million people in countries such as Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti are affected, according to the United Nations, and tens of thousands of people have already died.

On July 27, the Chinese government announced emergency food aid of 90 million yuan ($14 million).

On Monday, Premier Wen Jiabao declared additional aid of 353 million yuan to northeast African countries while meeting with visiting Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.

The World Food Program, the food aid branch of the UN, will use $16 million in cash from China’s aid to buy and distribute food in Somalia, where food transportation from China is very difficult because of the country’s geological features, he said.

The remaining amount includes 150 million yuan to Ethiopia, 130 million yuan to Kenya and 60 million yuan to Djibouti. The money will be mainly used to buy food such as rice, wheat, flour and oil in China’s market. Such foods are in urgent need in the famine-hit area, Yu said.

In recent years the Chinese government has stepped up efforts to cooperate with African countries in developing agricultural technologies.

From 2007 to 2009, China sent 104 senior agricultural experts to 33 countries across the continent to help them make agricultural development plans while providing consulting and training.

So far, China has built more than 40 agricultural cooperative projects in more than 30 African countries, trying to help them increase food production.

“This is the world’s largest-scale agricultural cooperation between one government and the African countries,” said Yang Lihua, director of the Center of Southern African Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

“China has made an important contribution in developing African countries’ agricultural industry,” she added.

However, China’s increasingly close ties with the continent have been criticized by some countries as “new colonization”. Some even blamed China’s “large-scale land purchases” as leading to drought and famine.

“It is absurd for some countries to try and blame China for the famine in the Horn of Africa,” Lu Shaye, director-general of the Department of African Affairs at Chinese Foreign Ministry, wrote in a comment in China Daily.

“China focuses on improving African countries’ food production capacity in its cooperation with Africa. China has not taken one single grain from Africa,” he said in the comment.

China will continue cooperating with Africa, Lu added.

Li Baodong, the Chinese permanent representative to the United Nations, speaks to the press at the UN headquarters in New York, the United States, June 6, 2011. Li on Monday said that China supports UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s bid for re-election, and “hopes he will gain the extensive support of all parties.” (Xinhua/Shen Hong)

UNITED NATIONS, June 6 (Xinhua) — Li Baodong, the Chinese permanent representative to the United Nations, on Monday said that China supports UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s bid for re- election, and “hopes he will gain the extensive support of all parties.”

Li told reporters here shortly after Ban officially announced at a press conference here his bid for a second five-year term as the UN secretary-general.

“As the top executive officer of the United Nations, secretary- general can exert significant influence on and play a unique role in the work of the United Nations in various fields,” he said.

“During his tenure over the past four years and more, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, as a secretary-general from an Asian country, has made important contribution to strengthening the role of the United Nations in international affairs,” Li said. “China is satisfied with his job. China supports Mr. Ban Ki-moon’s bid for re-election and hopes that he will gain the extensive support of all parties.”

Ban’s current mandate ends on Dec. 31, and he has no declared rival for the post. The 66-year-old former South Korean foreign minister succeeded Kofi Annan in January 2007.

Earlier on Monday, Ban met with the Group of Asian countries at the UN and formally seek the endorsement from Asia.

“The response from Asian countries is very very positive,” Li said. “Actually, there is a unanimous endorsement for his bid for re-election. Countries believe that he has demonstrated strong leadership and he has a vision and also a person who really cares about the development, cares about the gender issues and also has an agenda for the next five years.”

“We have full confidence in his leadership for the next five years, and we believe that under his leadership that UN will have a better role and will have more achievements promoting peace and development,” he added.

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UNITED NATIONS, June 6 (Xinhua) — UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Monday announced his official bid for a second term as the UN chief, saying “if supported by the (UN) member states, I would be deeply honored to serve once more.”

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Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo (R) shakes hands with Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne in Kunming, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, June 5, 2011. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

KUNMING, June 5 (Xinhua) — Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo told Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne on Sunday that the two countries have bright prospects of practical cooperation.

“Both China and Sri Lanka currently have the heavy task of development, and there are bright prospects for the two countries to enhance practical cooperation,” Dai said in his meeting with Jayaratne in Kunming, capital of southwest China’s Yunnan Province.

Dai and Jayaratne are in Kunming to attend the opening ceremony of the 19th China Kunming Import and Export Fair and the fourth South Asian Countries Trade Fair.

At the beginning of the fifty-minute meeting, Dai conveyed Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s greetings to Jayaratne, and also congratulated Jayaratne on turning 80 during his China trip.

Noting the relationship between China and Sri Lanka dated back over 2,000 years, Dai said China cherishes its ties with Sri Lanka and is ready to make concerted efforts to reinforce traditional friendship.

“China is willing to see Sri Lanka achieve rapid and prosperous development, and is willing to see the development of emerging economies and developing countries,” Dai said.

Hailing the bilateral friendship, Jayaratne said he appreciates China’s support to Sri Lanka regarding its development and safeguarding of its state sovereignty and territorial integrity.

He also said Sri Lanka welcomes a more active role played by China in the international community.