BEIJING, Sept. 19 -- Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang on Friday called for greater agricultural cooperation among the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies in face of food security challenge.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the third APEC ministerial meeting on food security, Wang said that agricultural development has progressed soundly in the Asia-Pacific region, though imbalances among APEC members remain evident.

"The food security situation is still severe, and agricultural development is facing new challenges posed particularly by population growth, climate change, environment pollution and natural disasters," he noted.

Wang called on APEC economies to strengthen regional agricultural exchanges and cooperation, build a stabilized and long-term cooperative mechanism and set up service platforms for agricultural enterprises and scientific research institutions.

"Food is the basis of human living, while agriculture is the cornerstone of economic growth," he said. "APEC members should produce better conditions for regional agricultural development."

APEC groups 21 members, including the United States, China, Japan and Russia, and discusses key issues such as economic development of the Asia-Pacific region.

The members account for over half of the world's economic output, 40 percent of the world's population, and 46 percent of the total global trade.