OpinionIs rice the new 'milk powder' for Hong Kong/China cross-border tensions?
Buy too much rice in Hong Kong and 'you could end up in jail', Chinese media warn tourists in wake of Guangzhou cadmium scandal
Mainland traders beware, purchasing too much rice in Hong Kong could land you in jail for breaking export restrictions, according to a tongue-in-cheek editorial in a Guangzhou newspaper, which made reference to the two-tin export limit on milk powder.
Fears about rice becoming the next scarce resource began spreading on the mainland after cadmium was found in half of the rice products in Guangzhou last week.
Local supermarkets have denied the report and have dismissed concerns over any increased demand for rice.
Nevertheless, the news stoked concerns amongst Hongkongers and mainlanders alike that parallel goods traders would buy up more of the staple food if more toxic rice was found on the mainland.
A years-long row over baby formula has already soured cross-border relations, prompting Hong Kong to introduce a two-tin limit on milk powder exports in March. The ban was aimed at combating parallel trading and safeguarding supplies of formula for local parents.