The tragedy remains within living memory for many in the country. The Great Chinese Famine during the 1950s and 60s led to the deaths of an estimated tens of millions of people. Their carts are stacked full of produce and other supplies, while shelves throughout the stores are empty.įood is a very sensitive issue in China. One video posted on Weibo by the state owned news magazine China News Weekly shows long lines of shoppers at grocery stores in Changzhou, a city in Jiangsu province. The government “didn’t even tell us to stock goods when the Covid outbreak erupted in early 2020,” wrote one user on the Twitter-like Weibo service earlier this week. In part, that appears to be because it includes rare language about the need for local authorities to encourage families to stockpile “daily necessities.” Even if the notice wasn’t intended for the average household to read, many online have seized on it as a personal warning. STR/AFP/Getty ImagesĬhina is urging families to stock up on food as supply challenges multiplyīut Monday’s directive has attracted the attention of everyday Chinese in a way that few other government notices have. This photo taken on Novemshows a resident buying vegetables at a market in Nanning, in China's southern Guangxi region. It also instructs those governments to keep food costs stable - a point of concern in recent weeks, as extreme weather, energy shortages and Covid-19 restrictions threaten supply. This one orders local authorities to ensure that their citizens have an “adequate supply” of essentials this winter. Droughts, floods and famines feature prominently throughout Chinese history - and rebellions launched by starving peasants toppled numerous imperial dynasties.īut the government’s latest attempt to head off concerns about pricing and supply appears to be spiraling out of control.Ī missive about stockpiling food from China’s Ministry of Commerce sparked panic buying among the public and frenzied online speculation this week.Īt first glance, the notice doesn’t seem too different from the typical directives the Chinese government has sent in the past stressing the need to shore up supplies. For centuries, China’s rulers have grappled with the challenges of feeding a large, expanding population. Few issues are more important to Beijing than food security.
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