China sparks fear about Taiwan tensions, food shortages after families urged to stockpile ‘daily necessities’
- China’s Ministry of Commerce urged local authorities to stabilise food supply and families to stockpile daily necessities
- The notice ahead of winter and amid sporadic Covid-19 outbreaks sparked panic, with some linking it to war with Taiwan
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China urges citizens to stockpile ‘daily necessities’, sparking fears of food shortages
A notice from the Chinese government that urged households to stock up on daily necessities ahead of winter in case of emergencies and food shortages has sparked widespread concern online.
The Ministry of Commerce told local authorities to stabilise food supply and prices, including for vegetables, meat and cooking oil in preparation for the coming cold months, according to the statement released on Monday evening.
“Families are encouraged to store a certain amount of daily necessities to meet the needs of daily life and emergencies,” the ministry said.
The notice sparked heated discussion online, with the hashtag “Ministry of Commerce encourages households to stockpile daily necessities as needed” garnering more than 40 million views on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like social platform, and nearly 5,000 comments as of Tuesday evening Beijing time.