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 directive by the commerce ministry stirred some concern on domestic social media that it may have been triggered by heightened tensions with Taiwan.
In response, the Economic Daily, a Chinese 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.
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