China rebuts remarks over food security

Soybean remained China's primary grain imports, which rose 8.6 percent year on year to reach 63.38 million tonnes in 2013, according to customs data.

The country's grain output gained 2.1 percent year on year to hit 601.94 million tonnes, marking 10 years in a row for increased grain production, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

China's rising grain imports in recent years were mainly driven by lower offshore prices as compared to domestic grain prices, Bi said.

"As global grain prices headed down, it's in China's interests to import an appropriate amount of grain at lower prices and follow the trend of international agriculture products," he said.

The government's emphasis on and policy support to agriculture will encourage farmers to continue growing grain production, thus further consolidate the ability for the country to feed 1.3 billion people, Bi said.

Relying more on machines, science and technology for higher grain output, China is also working to upgrade its irrigation system to make its food production sustainable, he added.

China has designated permanent cropland to observe a red-line guarantee that arable land shall never shrink to less than 120 million hectares.