If China’s economy is to withstand a military conflict with
That has left China increasingly reliant on imports to fill its 1.4 billion stomachs. If, in the event of a conflict with Taiwan, China enters a wartime economy, then ensuring a stable food supply will be vital for China’s leaders. The government sees genetically modified seeds – dubbed “the chips of agriculture” – as an important piece of the puzzle. A cultural aversion to GM seeds has slowed their adoption, but Beijing is expected to permit the planting of GM corn for the first time in the near future.
But oil and gas are crucial to the country’s economy, in areas such as transport. Around three-quarters of China’s crude oil is imported, mainly from friendly countries such as Russia and Saudi Arabia. While these countries are unlikely to comply with potential sanctions on Beijing, much of their crude oil is transported via seaborne tankers, which are vulnerable to interception.