China preparing for War?China Mysteriously Quadruples Rice Imports, Continues to Stockpile Commodities

China preparing for War?China Mysteriously Quadruples Rice Imports, Continues to Stockpile Commodities.HT: JoeMiller.Yesterday, it was reported that China – not currently suffering from any food shortages – is amassing rice stockpiles.
This past year, the country mysteriously imported four times the rice over 2011 purchases: United Nations agricultural experts are reporting confusion, after figures show that China imported 2.6 million tons of rice in 2012, substantially more than a four-fold increase over the 575,000 tons imported in 2011. The confusion stems from the fact that there is no obvious reason for vastly increased imports, since there has been no rice shortage in China. The speculation is that Chinese importers are taking advantage of low international prices, but all that means is that China’s own vast supplies of domestically grown rice are being stockpiled.
Why would China suddenly be stockpiling millions of tons of rice for no apparent reason? Perhaps it’s related to China’s aggressive military buildup and war preparations in the Pacific and in central Asia. Read the full story here.

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