China's grain market has remained stable and its food security is guaranteed despite the El Nino phenomenon and geopolitical conflicts heightening uncertainties over global food security, Liu Huanxin, head of the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration, said on Monday.
Liu made the remarks at a State Council Information Office press briefing in Beijing, noting that China's grain output has grown steadily over the past decade, with per capita grain availability exceeding 500 kilograms, above the world average.
"China's annual grain output has remained stable at over 650 million tonnes since 2015. It exceeded 700 million tonnes for the first time in 2024 and reached 715 million tonnes in 2025. Per capita grain possession has exceeded 500 kilograms, higher than the world average level. There are about 24,000 grain-processing enterprises covering a wide range of sectors in China. The annual industrial output value of grain enterprises exceeds 4 trillion yuan (about 597.22 billion U.S. dollars). The processing capacity of finished grains such as flour, rice, and edible oil is very sufficient," said Liu.
China's grain market remains stable despite El Nino, geopolitical conflicts: official
The left tube of the bidirectional Haitai Yangtze River Tunnel, the world's longest cross-river highway shield tunnel, successfully passed the lowest point of the riverbed on Monday, signifying that the tunnel construction has achieved the through-passage of the lowest point for both tubes and laying a solid foundation for its full completion.
The tunnel, located in east China's Jiangsu Province, is a key project to forge a major trans-river road link under China's longest river, connecting Haimen in Nantong City with Taicang in Suzhou City of the province.
At a depth of 75 meters beneath the Yangtze River estuary surface, China's independently developed Cangyuan shield tunneling machine has completed 5,334 meters of boring and safely drove through the riverbed's lowest point.
This section was the most critical part of the project where the construction risks were most concentrated and challenges were at their highest. The tunnel structure had to withstand an extremely high water pressure of 0.75 MPa, equivalent to the combined weight of approximately 51 vehicles each weighing 1.5 tons for each one single square meter to withstand.
"Facing challenges such as high water pressure at the riverbed, equipment abrasion from sandy soils with high quartz content, and significant geological variations, the technical team continuously adjusted key parameters. Relying on intelligent equipment and technology, we monitored data, conducted intelligent analysis, and optimized parameters in real time, successfully overcoming the hard technical problems," said Zhao Xiaopeng, an engineer on the project.
Stretching approximately 39.07 kilometers in total, the tunnel includes an 11.185-kilometer underwater section, with the shield-driven section on the left tube measuring 9,327 meters in length. It is designed as a six-lane, bidirectional highway with a speed limit of 100 km/h.
The tunnel construction is expected to be completed in 2028. Upon completion, it will serve as a critical link to facilitate transportation in the Yangtze River Delta in east China.
World's longest cross-river highway shield tunnel passes lowest point
