Vanuatu seeks cooperation with China on hybrid rice cultivation

CHANGSHA, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Vanuatu hopes to cooperate with China on hybrid rice cultivation to address the country's food security problem, said visiting Vanuatu Prime Minister Edward Natapei here on Wednesday.

Natapei, who is on a six-day China tour, visited a hybrid rice research center in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province. He expressed strong interest in China's hybrid rice technology and discussed with Chinese experts on how to apply the technology in his country.

He said Vanuatu mainly imported rice from Australia and the price was quite high. He said his country wished to expand cooperation with China on importation of rice, and hoped more Chinese experts could help train people in his country about hybrid rice planting.

During his two-day stay in Changsha, he met with the Governor of Hunan Province Zhou Qiang and visited a local heavy industry enterprise.

Invited by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Natapei arrived in Beijing on Sunday to start his working visit to China. Besides Beijing and Changsha, he will also visit south China's Guangdong Province.