China has set a new grain production capacity target of approximately 725 million tonnes in the draft outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), aiming to strengthen the country's control over food security amid global uncertainties, an expert said on Thursday.
Grain production capacity forms the foundation for stable output, and the proposed target builds on steady gain output achieved during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), said Tu Shengwei, a researcher at the Academy of Macroeconomic Research under the National Development and Reform Commission.
"Over the recent years, through the implementation of a new initiative to boost grain production capacity by 50 million tonnes, China's grain production capacity has been continuously strengthened. So we have a solid foundation to achieve this new target," Tu said.
The proposed target reflects the country's ambition to attain a higher level of food security in the coming five years, Tu said. "Amid the highly complex international landscape and frequent, severe natural disasters, we must intensify the implementation of the food crop production strategy of improving farmland management and increasing the application of technology. By stepping up the new initiative to boost grain production capacity by 50 million tonnes and stabilizing production capacity at this level, we can respond to environmental uncertainties with stable capacity, hold the initiative in grain security more firmly, and create more room for macroeconomic regulation. This will also lay a stronger foundation for achieving other economic and social development goals during the 15th Five-Year Plan period," Tu said.
The grain production target is part of the broader draft outline for national economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, which is currently being deliberated by lawmakers and political advisors at China's ongoing "two sessions."
The "two sessions" are the annual meetings of China's top legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC), and the top political advisory body, the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). Both bodies serve a five-year term and hold a plenary session each year, generally in March.
The fourth session of the 14th NPC and the fourth session of the 14th National Committee of the CPPCC kicked off on Thursday and Wednesday, respectively.
New grain production capacity target to strengthen China's food security: expert
A Spanish infectious diseases expert on Friday downplayed the risks of large-scale spreading of the deadly hantavirus, citing the current situation and precautionary measures already taken to prevent further outbreaks.
The Dutch-operated, hantavirus-hit expedition cruise ship MV Hondius is currently heading toward Spain's Canary Islands, following a rare outbreak that has resulted in three deaths. At least five cases of hantavirus have been confirmed out of eight suspected cases.
The strain is identified as the Andes virus, which is notable because it is known to spread between humans.
Vicente Soriano, the expert, said the virus can spread relatively easily in confined environments such as cruise ships. However, he added that the Spanish government's decision to bring the vessel to the Canary Islands and impose strict quarantine measures upon arrival is currently the best way to control its spread.
Health authorities in the Canary Islands have been placed on standby and have designated specific medical reception areas.
"It is difficult to predict what will happen after they arrive in the Canary Islands, or how many people are infected. But what we do know is that this is not expected to trigger an emergency outbreak. Among the few cases, there may be some asymptomatic individuals, and what will need to be done then is to place them in isolation," said Soriano.
Soriano believes it is unlikely that the outbreak will escalate to a state of emergency, as hantavirus is not entirely unknown and infection typically requires close contact with patients showing severe symptoms. Once cases are identified, they should be promptly isolated to effectively prevent the virus from spreading.
"The confirmed patients have already been evacuated and sent back to their home countries. Asymptomatic individuals will be taken to medical centers or hotels for nasal swab and blood tests. If they remain in good health after one week, with no fever and normal test results, they will be sent back to their places of residence in Spain or their countries of origin. I believe these measures are the right approach to prevent further spread of the outbreak and to bring it under control," he said.
Hantavirus is primarily transmitted to humans through contact with infected rodents such as rats and mice. Infection can occur through inhaling contaminated dust, touching contaminated surfaces, or exposure to rodent droppings. In rare cases, certain strains, such as the Andes virus, can spread between humans through close contact.
Large-scale hantavirus outbreaks unlikely: expert
