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(The Epoch Times)—Over 2,500 years ago, a renowned Chinese strategist launched trade wars—food wars, more specifically—to conquer other states.
A similar scenario in which communist China dominates the world through food security is what U.S. lawmakers are trying to avoid by holding a hearing on Wednesday about “the danger China poses to American agriculture.”
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem told lawmakers, “The threat is very real to us every single day.”
According to her, Chinese nationals contacted her state’s Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources last summer, “wishing to meet, tour, and have conversations about how we process and grow our food.” She said her staffers declined the meetings and learned days later from the State Department that those Chinese were spies “trying to steal our Intellectual Property and crop genetics.”
‘Asymmetric Warfare’
The Grain and Material Reserves Bureau of Hebei, the province surrounding Beijing, listed the Chinese strategist’s acts as the earliest historical “food war” lessons.
For example, the duke of Qi set off the trend of wearing cotton. Citizens of Qi began to buy cotton from two neighboring states, Lu and Liang, elevating cotton prices. As a result, those states abandoned agriculture and focused on producing cotton for profit.
However, a year later, Qi stopped buying cotton and cut off its trade with Lu and Liang, which couldn’t feed their own citizens. Many people in Lu and Liang migrated to Qi. Three years later, Lu and Liang folded under Qi without a war.
Calling food warfare a form of “asymmetric warfare,” the article published by Hebei’s Grain and Material Reserves Bureau says, “Food warfare is an alternative form of war, mainly characterized by long-term siege and starvation.
“The initiator uses the form of cutting off food sources, restricting food trade, destroying food storage, and forcibly expropriating people’s rations to achieve the goals by creating manmade famine, chaos, and unrest.”
Ms. Noem is concerned about U.S. agricultural dependence on China.
At the hearing, she warned lawmakers that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) intends to “buy up our entire food supply chain.” She said she had witnessed Chinese purchases of fertilizer companies, food processing companies, and now farmland.
“When America can’t feed itself, and we rely on other members of another country to feed us, it becomes a national security issue. The country that feeds us will control us,” she added.
Reduce Dependence on China
Members of the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture expressed bipartisan consensus on the threat the CCP poses. “Food security is national security,” lawmakers on both sides of the aisle said repeatedly throughout the hearing.
Josh Gackle, president of the American Soybean Association, shared with lawmakers China’s dominance as an export destination for U.S. soybean farmers.
China accounted for over half of the United States’ total soybean exports during the crop’s 2022/2023 marketing year, or Sept. 1, 2022, through Aug. 31, 2023. The total was $32.6 billion in 2023, of which China bought $18.8 billion, and the second largest destination was about $3.3 billion.
“The sheer scale of China’s demand for soybeans—more than 60% of global soy imports—cannot be replaced. One in three rows of soybeans grown in the U.S. is destined for China,” Mr. Gackle said, describing the current level of dependency on China.
To diversify markets, he identified Southeast Asia as a potential candidate. However, developing new markets can be rather costly. Therefore, he advocated for private-public partnerships in the United States and corresponding appropriations in the next farm bill, on a five-year update schedule required by law.
The current farm bill was enacted in 2018. President Joe Biden extended it through Sept. 30, 2024, while lawmakers firm up the updated version.
Mysterious “Skyquakes” Are Causing Strange “Booms” in the Sky, and Scientists Have No Explanation
by Michael Snyder
(End of the American Dream)—What is causing the extremely loud “booms” that people are hearing in the sky all over the world? We are being told that “skyquakes” are responsible, but scientists have no idea why these “skyquakes” are occurring. In some cases, the “skyquakes” cause such powerful shaking that…
The Biggest Sale on Long-Term Storage Beef EVER
by Sponsored Post
Let’s cut to the chase. Prepper All-Naturals is offering an unprecedented 40% off for it’s “Beef Steak” survival bags with promo code “steak40”. With a 25-year shelf life and a single ingredient (beef, of course), our most popular product is available for a very limited time with the biggest discount…
Seattle Is Ordered to Stop Blocking Illegal Alien Deportations in the Most Hilarious Court Decision Ever
by PJ Media
A federal court has just pooped in the oatmeal of the West Coast, Messed Coast™governors and local election officials suffering from acute cases of Trump Derangement Syndrome who think they can stop illegal alien deportations. And after this hilarious and thorough legal takedown from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals,…
Illegal Alien Terror Suspect Found Dead in Cook County Jail Cell
by Slay News
An Islamic illegal alien has been found dead in his jail cell after being arrested on terrorism charges. According to CWBChicago, 22-year-old Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi was found dead at the Cook County jail in Illinois on Saturday. Abdallahi was arrested on felony terrorism and hate crime charges in October. He…
Trump’s Wild Bunch Is Ready for Action
by Frank Miele
If for no other reason than that it will elicit fear in the hearts of autocracy-phobics, I propose that Donald Trump’s second-term Cabinet be known as “The Wild Bunch.” The name is best known as the title of Sam Peckinpah’s classic 1969 western featuring a colorful cast of aging outlaws…
FAA Issues Flight Restrictions Over Questionable Drone Activity Near Trump’s Bedminster Golf Course
by Just The News
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Tuesday said that it has issued two flight restrictions on the area surrounding President-elect Donald Trump’s Bedminster golf club in New Jersey, following questionable drone activity. The drone sightings were first reported on Nov. 18, but have continued into this week, according to Fox…
Ex-FBI Agent Convicted for Stealing From Jan 6 Defendant During Raid
by Trending Politics
A former Houston-based FBI agent has been convicted of stealing valuables and cash while conducting searches. In one instance, the agent stole cash and silver bars from a non-violent January 6 defendant’s home. Nicholas Anthony Williams, 36, was indicted on January 31 in the Southern District of Texas. Williams, who…
Democrats, Media Elite Urge Biden to Pardon Trump’s Alleged ‘Enemies List’
by Breitbart
President Joe Biden should issue preemptive pardons to his political allies and those deemed to be on President-elect Donald Trump’s alleged “enemies list,” Democrats and their media allies believe. Delivering a preemptive pardon indicates an admission of guilt, although Democrats claim a preemptive pardon would only be intended to block…
Fani Willis Forced to Release All Communications With Jack Smith, J6 Committee
by Trending Politics
The Fulton County Superior Court has ruled against District Attorney Fani Willis, ordering her to disclose communications with Special Counsel Jack Smith and the House January 6 Committee. The decision, announced on Tuesday, follows a lawsuit brought by Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group, which accused Willis of violating Georgia’s…
Lindsey Graham Is the Warmongering NeoCon Leading the Charge to Upend Pete Hegseth
by JD Rucker
Pete Hegseth represents a shift away from the wokeness that has infected the United States military. This is possibly the biggest reason President-Elect Donald Trump tapped him to be the next Secretary of Defense and the vast majority of Republicans on Capitol Hill can support this, at least for the…
‘Where Are Black Democrats?’: Charles Payne Tells Personal Story to Call Out ‘Huge Double Standard’ of Biden Family
by Nicole Silverio, DCNF
(DCNF)—Fox Business host Charles Payne called out the alleged “huge double standard” of President Joe Biden’s family Tuesday by revealing that his brother, who struggles with a crack addiction, is currently serving a jail sentence. Payne said his brother, who is getting out of jail on Friday, is likely one…
Zelensky Admits Ukraine Can’t Retake All Its Land: ‘We Must Seek Diplomatic Means’
by Breitbart
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky conceded in an interview on Tuesday that Ukraine does not have “enough forces” to restore sovereignty over Russian-occupied Crimea and “must seek diplomatic means” to end the Russian invasion and regain its land. The state-run Ukrinform outlet reported that Zelensky described Crimea – which Russia colonized…
Ultra-Processed Foods: How Bad Are They for Your Health?
by Olivia Cook
(Natural News)—Despite the serious health risks associated with eating junk food, they remain the most consumed food products in many countries, particularly developed ones. But a review published in The BMJ, which studied 9.8 million people, warns that eating a lot of ultra-processed foods can increase your risk for 32 diseases. Among these are heart…
“Already Pretty Far Down the Line”: The Container Store Could File for Bankruptcy as Soon as Next Year
by Tyler Durden, Zero Hedge
(Zero Hedge)—As the retail apocalypse that started with Amazon and e-commerce continues, the latest victim is The Container Store. The retail giant could file for bankruptcy as soon as next year, according to the New York Post, who said the retailer is blaming its recent descent on “a weak housing…
Mysterious ‘Car-Sized Drones’ Over New Jersey Prompt FBI Investigation
by Zero Hedge
Several weeks of mysterious drone swarms over the skies of one New Jersey county near the military research and manufacturing facility Picatinny Arsenal have sparked concerns among residents and prompted an FBI investigation. “It’s kind of unsettling,” Mike Walsh, a Morris County resident who has spotted the drones on numerous…
UNESCO’s New Mission: Train Influencers About Combatting Online “Misinformation”
by Reclaim the Net
The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is now incorporating teaching influencers how to “fact check” into its activities. UNESCO claims that influencers have become “primary sources of news and cultural information” around the world – which prompted it to carry out a survey into how these online personalities…
