China urges families to keep stocks of daily necessities ahead of winter
China
Published Nov 3, 2021
Tridge summary
SHANGHAI/BEIJING (Nov 2): The Chinese government has told families to keep daily necessities in stock in case of emergencies, after Covid-19 outbreaks and unusually heavy rains that caused a surge in vegetable prices raised concerns about supply shortages. The commerce ministry directive late on Monday stirred some concern on domestic social media that it may have been triggered by heightened tensions with Taiwan, while some said people were rushing to stock up on rice, cooking oil and salt.
Original content
"As soon as this news came out, all the old people near me went crazy panic buying in the supermarket," wrote one user on China's Twitter-like Weibo. Local media has also recently published lists of recommended goods to store at home including biscuits and instant noodles, vitamins, radios and flashlights. The public response forced state media on Tuesday to try to soothe fears and clarify the ministry's statement. The Economic Daily, a Communist Party-backed newspaper, told netizens not to have "too much of an overactive imagination" and that the directive's purpose was to make sure citizens were not caught off guard if there was a lockdown in their area. The People's Daily said the ministry issues such notices every year, but had issued its instruction earlier this year because of natural disasters, the surge in vegetable prices and recent Covid-19 cases. The ministry's statement late on Monday urged local authorities to do a good job in ensuring supply and stable prices, and to ...
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