SYDNEY, May 24 (Xinhua) -- China's Juncao and upland rice technology project has played a crucial role in Papua New Guinea (PNG)'s agriculture development and poverty alleviation, and the PNG government will continue to support the program, said PNG Prime Minister James Marape.
Marape made the remark on Thursday during a meeting with Lin Zhanxi, inventor of Juncao technology, in Port Moresby.
The prime minister noted that China helped PNG carry out the Juncao and upland rice technology project, which delivered remarkable results and played a significant part in the Pacific island country's agriculture development and poverty alleviation.
The PNG government is committed to continuously deepening cooperation with China and will continue to actively support the development of the Juncao and upland rice technology project, promoting it to more provinces to benefit PNG people, said Marape.
For his part, Lin provided an overview of the current status and the latest achievements of the project in PNG.
He said that the Chinese expert team will continue to work at the grassroots level in the Pacific island country, extending the technology to more provinces, enhancing its application and industrialization, and making greater contributions to PNG's economic and social development.
Chinese Ambassador to PNG Zeng Fanhua, who also attended the meeting, expressed the willingness to further implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, as well as to promote the Juncao and upland rice technology project and China-PNG agricultural cooperation for fresh advancements.
Earlier, a groundbreaking ceremony for a new base of the China-aided Juncao and upland rice technology project was held on Tuesday in the Eastern Highlands Province of PNG. ■
