Harriet Hageman: “For my colleagues who may share my concern about CCP influence but are concerned about not supporting the FAO mission, I…”

“For my colleagues who may share my concern about CCP influence but are concerned about not supporting the FAO mission, I would also note that Director Dongyu's tenure has been marked with criticism, including from U.N. officials, for mismanaging the agency and failing to properly respond to global food shortages. A December 2022 Politico article, interviewing more than a dozen U.N. officials and diplomats, highlighted these concerns. These officials criticized the top-down authoritarian management of the FAO, saying, ``It is not him. It is China,'' and, ``I am not convinced he would make a single decision without first checking it with the capital,'' referring to China. It is a matter of fact that the invasion of Ukraine, a major food exporter, further contributed to food shortages, especially for Ukraine's trading partners. U.N. officials criticized the FAO for refusing to realize this reality, even though it falls directly within its jurisdiction. The concern got so bad that U.S. and EU officials had to force an emergency meeting of the FAO council. Under his watch, the priorities of the collective FAO have been sidelined for the director general's priorities, which the West has warned are similar to China's Global Development Initiative.…”