Food Imports/Exports of Largest Economies, 2015
| Country | % of merchandise imports | % of merchandise exports |
|---|---|---|
| USA | 5.9 | 10.1 |
| China | 6.7 | 2.8 |
| Japan | 10.0 | 0.8 |
| Germany | 7.9 | 5.5 |
| UK | 10.1 | 6.7 |
| Source: World Bank | ||
To counter domestic production shortcomings, Chinese companies are investing in agriculture-based assets abroad. China is currently the fifth-largest foreign landholder in Australia, and in 2015 China was the largest foreign source of agribusiness investment in Australia. The approximately $2.5 billion that China spent in that year on Australian farms and food facilities was nearly double the amount invested by the United States, the largest foreign holder of Australian land assets.
China’s efforts to capitalize on Australia’s available land have, however, faced resistance. Two separate companies were blocked by Treasury Secretary Scott Morrison from purchasing the country’s largest cattle business, S. Kidman and Co., whose holdings comprise 2.5 percent of total Australian land area – roughly the size of South Korea. In both cases, Morrison cited national interest as grounds for the decision.
Chinese investments in food production have also extended to the United States. In 2013, China’s largest meat processor, Shuanghui International, acquired American Smithfield Foods for $4.7 billion, marking the largest Chinese acquisition of a U.S. company in history. China, along with the United Kingdom and United States, now stands as one the three most active land traders in terms of trading partners in the world. At present, China has purchased or leased land in 33 countries, three more than the United Kingdom and five more than the United States. This strategy is indicative of a larger trend, whereby wealthier countries often acquire agriculture resources in poorer, underdeveloped states.
Fishing Waters Near and Far
While fish has always been a staple of the Chinese diet, it is becoming an increasingly important source of protein. China’s per capita fish consumption grew at an average annual rate of five percent between 1990 and 2013. At 37.9 kg of per capita consumption, residents of China eat more fish than any other people, and significantly more than the world average of 19.7 kg.
To meet this demand, China’s global fishing activities have exploded. China is the largest producer of fish products, with 76.1 million tons of production in 2014. China is the world leader in terms of both aquatic capture (harvesting wild sea creatures) at 14 million tons and aquaculture (rearing and farming sea creatures in controlled environments) production, at 58.8 million tons. By comparison, Indonesia ranked second in total production with a harvest of 20 million tons.
The FAO reported in 2016 that China was “responsible for more than 60 percent of the world aquaculture production.” China supplied the rest of the world with over $20 billion worth of fish in 2014, which was roughly twice the amount of Norway, the world’s second largest fish exporter. Despite its tremendous production capacity, China is also the third-largest fish importer, as many countries outsource their fish processing to China. At a value of $8.5 billion in 2014, China’s fish imports were considerable but significantly behind the United States and Japan, whose fish imports totaled around $20 billion and $14 billion, respectively.
Top Fish Producers, 2014
China is the largest producer of fish products, with 76.1 million tons of production in 2014.
CountryCapture production in tonsAquaculture production in tons
China 14,811,390 58,797,258
Indonesia 6,016,025 14,375,282
USA 4,954,467 425,870
Russia 4,000,702 163,600
READ more at :https://chinapower.csis.org/china-food-security/
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