Opinion | China’s grain scarcity fears say more about uncertain relations with the US than food supply
- Concerns about food scarcity have recently resurfaced in China, but they have been triggered more by global uncertainty than a shortage of grains
- The best way China can allay these worries is to ensure stable expectations among the public, especially in the relationship with the US
In late 1960s and early 1970s, when China was on the brink of war with a military superpower, the Soviet Union, chairman Mao Zedong borrowed a line from the first emperor of the Ming dynasty and rolled out a nationwide policy that was memorised by every Chinese peasant and worker: dig tunnels deep, store grains everywhere.
For Chinese who lived through that period – the generation of my parents and grandparents – the warning about possible food scarcity was horrifying, as it stirred memories of hunger during the Great Chinese Famine of 1959-61.
It left deep marks on the Chinese lifestyle. For many years, a universal sign of hospitality was that the host would make sure the guest had more food than he or she needed.
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It is about “what if?” – notably “what if there’s a conflict with the United States and Washington bans the trading of grain with China?"
The conflicting messages from the Chinese government have helped sow confusion.