China, a small net exporter of rice and largely self-sufficient in wheat, has been something of a spectator in the global food crisis of recent months, with Beijing’s role confined to tightening scrutiny of exports to prevent profiteering.

“There is no grain crisis in China at the moment, and there won’t be for some time into the future,” says Cui Xiaoli, a researcher at the development research centre, a think-tank under China’s cabinet.