Sino-US trade deal won’t harm farmers

Editor’s note: China may increase the import of US agricultural products after several rounds of talks with the United States. If China does import more US agricultural products, what will be the impact on China’s agricultural sector and how will it affect Chinese farmers? Two experts share their views with China Daily’s Yao Yuxin. Excerpts follow:

Unlike industrial production, crops and poultry need a relatively long time to bring to the market. And since they are perishable goods, producers have to balance their supply with the existing demand. So China’s decision will not lead to US agricultural products flooding the domestic market and, therefore, not have a significant impact on China’s farming industry in the short term.

China has strictly controlled the import of staples such as rice, wheat and corn, in order to ensure self-sufficiency in food production, which is necessary for food security.

Since the measures to include the scattered small-scale farmers in industrial operation have resulted in environmental pollution and food insecurity, increasing import of US farm products such as meat, eggs and milk will not only ease the pressure on China’s farmland and water bodies, but also meet the people’s increasing demand for better quality food.

China and the United States have chosen to settle the trade dispute by increasing US exports to China, instead of reducing Chinese exports to the US, which is a step in the right direction to resolve their trade dispute in the long run.

Still, to expand their market, US exporters need to localize their agricultural products to cater to the taste of Chinese consumers while observing China’s laws, and the US administration should stop using trade as a weapon against its trading partners because it has mostly failed to resolve differences.

Although the details of the agreement are not yet known, China has made it clear it will import only what it needs to meet its domestic demand. Thus, the US can increase its share in China’s market only by supplying high-quality products that Chinese consumers need.

Chinese farmers usually find themselves at a disadvantage because many of them are engaged in small-scale farming compared with developed modern farming in the West. So China’s agricultural sector could face pressure if China increases the import of US farm products. But that doesn’t mean China will not benefit from the new agreement.

China is a vast country with a population of more than 1.3 billion, but it has relatively limited cultivable land. Therefore, an increase in agricultural imports will help it better protect its cultivable land and reduce food prices.

Nevertheless, to improve Chinese farmers’ livelihoods and productivity, the government has to take more favorable measures just like most governments across the world do.

China has already achieved self-sufficiency in food production, and will always accord priority to food security and build up its resilience against natural disasters and climate change.

And since it is vitally important to ensure there is always enough cultivable land to feed the nation, more attention should be paid to food security and safety. In fact, China has diversified its import channels and improved its grain silos to guarantee regular supply of food products.

As US President Donald Trump is trying to increase the export of farm products to win the support of voters in the leading agricultural states in the US midterm election, China, too, can use the agreement to adjust the structure of its agricultural output and strike the right balance between the import and export of agricultural products.

Zheng Fengtian, a professor at the School of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, Renmin University of China Sang Baichuan, director of the Institute of International Business at the University of International Business and Economics

The two comics, named Warriors of Three Sovereigns and Areo, were serialized on NetEase’s official comics app on May 9, two days before Marvel’s latest film Avengers: Infinity hit the screens in China.

The Monkey King, a two-part animation film made by Shanghai Animation Film Studio in the 1960s, still marks the peak of Chinese animation industry. With the animation filmmaking system undergoing a radical change since the launch of reform and opening-up, however, a rash of shoddy products have emerged. Many filmmakers and producers, who have little passion for creativity, have made animations to just pocket the government subsidy.

Therefore, unlike the United States and Japan, China doesn’t have a mature animation industry. And thanks to the growing market demand, investors have taken over the industry in recent years.

So the collaboration of Marvel and NetEase could produce quality cultural products, as Marvel is known for its innovative characters and storylines.

But since the Chinese animation industry is at a disadvantage against foreign competition because of its technical and creative drawbacks, even the MarvelNetEase joint venture will primarily create American-style Chinese superheroes. As for the Chinese elements, they will be mainly used to attract Chinese audiences and increase box office earnings, rather than to spread Chinese culture, a key part of the country’s soft power.

To change the situation, the Chinese animation industry has to enhance its innovative capability. And the latest Avengers film is a good example of innovation, because viewers were glued to the seats even after the movie ended just to watch a two-minute bonus scene.

Filmmakers and animators could use real life situations, too, to be innovative. For example, Travel Frog, a mobile game with origins in Japan, went viral almost overnight in China earlier this year because it struck a chord with the youth who feel anxious about and disappointed with the rising housing prices. This shows general public feelings and emotions can be used as the storylines for animations.

Moreover, the entire animation industrial chain should be upgraded so as to provide a sound foundation for future development.

Sector needs time for improvement