China’s food security under threat

The recent statement of President Xi Jinping highlighting food security as a major issue for the country and arable land as the ‘lifeblood of food production’ indicates the Chinese leadership’s concern over its limited food resources. Xi Jinping has even publicly linked food supplies to national security.

The Chinese leadership realizes that prioritizing food security is a prerequisite to maintaining social stability. During the Covid-19 lockdown pandemic, disruptions in the food supply and lockdown-induced food shortages sparked a wave of protests in more than a dozen cities, with demonstrators demanding food.