earticle

영어

Since the Great Leap Forward in the late 1950s, Chinese leaders have been constantly wary of famine and their country’s food security, as reflected in the stress on food security in China’s official plans and documents in the subsequent decades. The integral position of food security was reflected in its inclusion in the National Security Law of 2015. However, empirical data published by China, the United States, and international organizations reveal that China has persistently struggled with the shortage of a key grain for protein, soybean, since the mid-1990s. For China, addressing the need and want of soybeans is essential for its entire food security. China has been able to secure a consistent supply of soybeans to meet its domestic demand, initially importing largely from the U.S., and later adding Brazil as a major supplier. Moreover, it is safely assumed that the U.S. would not stop its soybean supply to China for the sake of its own economic and political benefits. In this sense, China and the U.S. are economically and politically interdependent in demand and supply of soybean. However, for sure, China has not been gratified with the fait accompli. It has continued to diversify its sources of soybean imports along its One Belt One Road initiative and pursue its “Go Global” strategy to cultivate foreign territories. China has also increased its investments in agricultural science and technology in order to strengthen its domestic soybean production. Still, the self-help policies China has adopted would be controversial in their effect. It is time for China to think of a better or new path for its soybean security.