The Chinese government Wednesday donated US$500,000 to World Food Program Cambodia to ensure food nutrition and security for about 29,000 women and children in Cambodia.

Jin Yuan, economic and commercial counsellor of the Chinese embassy in Cambodia handed over the donation to Jean-Pierre de Margerie, country representative of WFP to Cambodia at the ceremony held in Phnom Penh.

Visiting UN WFP's Chinese Goodwill Ambassador Against Hunger and legendary Chinese Olympic gymnast Li Ning participated in the hand-over ceremony.

Jin Yuan said that China and WFP have cooperated for the past 31 years, assisting 30 million people within China, and since 2006, a growing number of people through WFP operation in other developing countries benefited from China's donations.

"The donation to WFP Cambodia this time is not much, but we hope that it will contribute to social and economic development and reduce poverty in Cambodia," he said. "Besides, we are willing to share with the Cambodian government China's experience of achieving food security and fighting hunger."

"I would like to express my profound thanks, on behalf of those poor people, to the government of China for its timely and generous donation to the people in urgent need in Cambodia," said Jean-Pierre de Margerie, country representative of WFP to Cambodia.

"With this amount of money, about 520 tones of commodities including rice, corn and sugar will be bought to feed about 30,000 Cambodian pregnant women, nursing mothers and younger children," he added.

Li Ning, arrived here on Tuesday night, started his five-day visit to Cambodia as the UN WFP's Chinese Goodwill Ambassador Against Hunger. During the visit, Li Ning will learn about the work WFP is doing to support vulnerable people, especially mothers and young children.

(Xinhua News Agency December 16, 2010)