BERLIN – FAO director general Qu Dong-Yu during his first term that ended last week “manipulated the UN agency to the advantage of Beijing,” including encouraging the supply in Africa, Asia and Oceania of pesticides banned in Europe produced by the Chinese-owned agro-chemical giant Syngenta, according to an investigation by German ARD broadcasting.

 Qu, a member of the Chinese Communist Party, was re-elected to a second term at the head of FAO last week-end after two candidates who stood against him from Tajikistan and Iraq mysteriously withdrew their candidatures, evidently in return from considerations from Beijing.

 As head of FAO, Qu also allegedly used his post to promote the New Silk Road initaitive and “other questionable investment projects,” using a network of officials from China, according to the in depth probe by ARD, quoted by the Italian news agency ANSA in Berlin.

 Chinese “officials” at the FAO are selected on the basis of their ideological faithfulness to the Communist party and ARD quoted an FAO source as describinh Chinese officials at FAO as “spies,” ARD reported.

 Qu came under fire in the past for his rapprochement, with the blessing of the Trump administration, with the Croplife International that groups leading pesticide and agribusiness companies. Former US ambassador to the FAO Kip Tom, himself owner of a large agribusiness concern, was instrumental in the controversial rapprochement, diplomatic sources say.

 ARD-Recherche: Chinas Einfluss auf Welternährungsorganisation FAO - YouTube

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