In sketchy ENglish Mr Qu took credit at the May 11 meeting for expanded health insurance for all consultants, who are now called 'affiliated staff,' changes in human resources policies, development of career opportunities, a benevolent policy toward staff and their benefits, expansion of flexible working arrangements establishing work from home as the norm for all staff and the creation of 'new posts' of a staff relations officer and career development officer.

  The icing on the dubious cake was perhaps a remark by statuesque Maria Helena Semedo that "we are a stronger family, all together under one virtual roof."

 Staff representatives claim to be pleased by the purported changes though the communications campaign is seen as naive and somewhat patronising.

 Veteran staff are prudent as to the real significance of the change noting that senior staff members such as Laurent Thomas, Basharat Ali and Rakesh Muthoo still are in top jobs but they are the executives who developed and applied the former DG José Graziano da Silva's aggressive human resources policies against staff and their families.

 Staff representatives at the time accused Graziano's lieutenants of cutting benefits, removing education benefits and forcing staff and their families to change dwellings to reduce housing expenditure. They forbade all teleworking, part time and flexible arrangements. Now it seems odd to skeptical FAO watchers that the same executives are tasked with implementing the Chinese Communist leader's benevolent policies.

 Staff were appreciative of efforts made to ensure that all FAO employees were vaccinated and that this was arranged by FAO.

 The campaign caused some eyebrow raising because at first vaccination was carried out on the basis of grades and administrative seniority of FAO officials rather than on age and risk categories.

 It is not known whether that was general UN policy or Chinese policy, however.