Do China's reported food reserves and domestic production establish that it could withstand losing modern global supplies?
Short answerThe figures alone do not settle the question: their reliability, the condition of the stores, and panic during a crisis remain concerns.
NotesHeadline food-reserve figures do not establish how the stocks would function during a sudden crisis. Alex Clarke questions the reliability of official Chinese reserve figures and cites a reported problem with military food stocks that he says was subsequently resolved. His concern is that national totals depend on the condition and reporting of stores managed at different levels of government. A further objection is that dividing total calories by population assumes orderly consumption. Panic over essential food supplies could disrupt that calculation.