US Lawmakers Sound Alarm Over China Ties to UN Food Program

Then-Chinese candidate to head the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Qu Dongyu addresses FAO members and delegates during the plenary assembly for the election of the new FAO director-general held at the FAO headquarters, in Rome on June 22, 2019. Vincenzo Pinto/AFP via Getty Images

A group of U.S. lawmakers led by Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) wrote to President Joe Biden on Dec. 11, urging the United States to oppose a United Nations proposal that they say could strengthen China’s agricultural position while weakening the United States.

Last month, U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Director General Qu Dongyu submitted a proposal to raise the profile of his office. Notably, he proposed extending the position’s current maximum term from eight years to 10, increasing the roughly $300,000 salary and allowance, and giving the position more authority in shaping global food and agriculture standards and goals at various levels. The proposal would be subject to a council vote, in which the United States has a seat, before it could be adopted.

Qu served as China’s vice minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs before joining the United Nations. The director general position is an elected one, and Qu was elected in 2019 as the ninth head of FAO and reelected for a second term in 2023. The FAO head also has a major role in running the World Food Program.

The proposal states that Qu has done much to modernize FAO since taking office in 2019, with initiatives such as opening regional offices, establishing an Office of Innovation and Chief Scientist role, and creating Sustainable Development Goals.

After Russia invaded Ukraine—a major exporter of grains and meat to Europe—Qu drew criticism from other U.N. members for downplaying the war.

The 17 lawmakers said Qu’s nationality would not have been a concern, but since he took office in 2019, the number of Chinese appointees to high positions in FAO has nearly doubled. They also noted that the agency has sought to advance goals that benefit China over those prioritizing tackling the global food crisis.

“America cannot afford to sit idly by–even in a time of political transition–while China positions itself to expand its influence over a body to which our nation belongs,” the lawmakers wrote.

They called on Biden “to reject any proposal that could undermine efficiency in food and agriculture-related organizations, strengthen China’s position, or weaken America’s leadership on the world stage.”

Additionally, they urged the president “to position American farmers, ranchers, foresters, and agricultural producers as the global leader in food and agriculture and to represent our country’s production and ideals across the globe.”

The letter was signed by Reps. Tracey Mann (R-Kan.), Brad Finstad (R-Minn.), John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), Austin Scott (R-Ga.), Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), David Rouzer (R-N.C.), Ronny Jackson (R-Texas), Mary Miller (R-Ill.), Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.), Trent Kelly (R-Miss.), Mark Alford (R-Mo.), Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa); and Sens. Marshall, Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), James Risch (R-Idadho), and Rick Scott (R-Fla.).