What does Xi Jinping’s fixation on food security mean for China’s countryside?
image: REX/ShutterstockXI JINPING has called food security a “guozhidazhe”, a national priority. He’s introduced new policies emphasising China’s need to grow more of its own crops on its limited arable land. But these new plans clash with other signature directives, including pulling farmers out of poverty—and that is causing resentment and confusion.The Economist’s Beijing bureau chief, David Rennie, and senior China correspondent, Alice Su, discuss whether China is food insecure and why the Communist Party’s legitimacy rests on its ability to feed the population. David travels to Sichuan to see how the overlapping rural reforms are affecting farmers. He and Alice ask whether Mr Xi’s fixation on food security could be a warning of a future conflict. Runtime: 33 minSign up to our weekly newsletter here and for full access to print, digital and audio editions, as well as exclusive live events, subscribe to The Economist at economist.com/drumoffer.Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify |
XI JINPING has called food security a “guozhidazhe”, a national priority. He’s introduced new policies emphasising China’s need to grow more of its own crops on its limited arable land. But these new plans clash with other signature directives, including pulling farmers out of poverty—and that is causing resentment and confusion.
The Economist’s Beijing bureau chief, David Rennie, and senior China correspondent, Alice Su, discuss whether China is food insecure and why the Communist Party’s legitimacy rests on its ability to feed the population. David travels to Sichuan to see how the overlapping rural reforms are affecting farmers. He and Alice ask whether Mr Xi’s fixation on food security could be a warning of a future conflict. Runtime: 33 min
Sign up to our weekly newsletter here and for full access to print, digital and audio editions, as well as exclusive live events, subscribe to The Economist at economist.com/drumoffer.
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