China stockpile full#

Wang added that prices of some vegetables in the nation’s capital had soared 50% or more in October.īut there are other factors contributing to the rise. He said last week at a press conference that the cost of transiting across regions could rise because of strict containment measures. Nationwide efforts to curb coronavirus cases may be contributing in part to the rising cost of food, according to Wang Hongcun, an official with the Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau.

China stockpile full#

Crowds in one video were shown lining up in front of makeshift testing sites as health workers in full personal protective equipment (PPE) looked on. The world’s second largest economy is resolute on completely eradicating the virus within its borders, and has implemented tough restrictions to stop outbreaks, including stopping high-speed trains and quarantining passengers, and changing traffic lights to red to discourage traffic in one county where a single case was reported.Ĭhina’s strict measures even went viral over the weekend after a single confirmed case of coronavirus sent Shanghai Disneyland into a snap lockdown. The state-owned Economic Daily, meanwhile, wrote Tuesday that authorities were attempting to remind families to prepare in case of temporary lockdowns caused by Covid-19.Īnd state broadcaster CCTV said that the portion of the announcement calling on families to stock up on necessities had been “over-read.” It also released an interview with Zhu Xiaoliang, a Commerce Ministry official, who said that daily supplies for people are sufficient and can be “fully guaranteed.” Zhu added that the announcement was intended for local authorities.Ĭhina has maintained a stringent zero-Covid policy, even as countries around the world gradually open up and learn to live with the coronavirus.

China considers Taiwan an “inseparable part” of its territory, even though the Chinese Communist Party has never ruled the self-governing island. Hu Xijin, the editor of the Global Times, a state-run tabloid, dismissed suggestions that the notice could be connected with rising tensions between Beijing and Taipei. So strong was the reaction that some within Chinese state media sought to quell concerns. 'Everything is gone.' Flooding in China ruins farmers and risks rising food prices This aerial photo shows firefighters patroling with boats at a flooded area near the Yangtze river in Zhenjiang, in China's eastern Jiangsu province on July 20. The government “didn’t even tell us to stock goods when the Covid outbreak erupted in early 2020,” wrote one Weibo user, responding to the news.Īnother speculated that authorities were reminding people that they “might not be able to afford vegetables this winter.” The sudden warning sent shock waves through Chinese social media on Tuesday, as many people speculated about the commerce ministry’s rationale. The inclusion of language in this statement that mentions families, though, appears to be putting people on edge. But those statements are usually very obviously intended for local authorities to read, and rarely capture the attention of everyday citizens. And it told those authorities to keep prices stable - a source of anxiety in recent weeks, as the cost of vegetables has surged throughout China because of unusually heavy rainfall that has hurt crops.Ĭhina has stressed the importance of shoring up food and other daily supplies in the past - including in September, ahead of a major weeklong holiday period. The agency also urged local authorities to make sure that people have an “adequate supply” of essentials this winter into next spring. The country’s Ministry of Commerce late Monday issued a notice directing local governments to encourage people to stockpile “daily necessities,” including vegetables, oils and poultry, in order to “meet the needs of daily life and emergencies.” China is telling families to stock up on food and other daily essentials as bad weather, energy shortages and Covid-19 restrictions threaten to disrupt supplies.