Li Qiang's Unusual Emphasis on Food Security During His Research in Heilongjiang and Jilin

Chinese Premier Li Qiang's Profile Photo. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

[People News] From August 24 to 26, Premier Li Qiang of the Communist Party of China conducted research in Heilongjiang and Jilin. According to state media reports, Li Qiang visited the Qixing Farm of the Beidahuang Group, toured dry farming fields and extensive rice paddies, and examined the growth of soybeans, corn, and rice. At the Jiansanjiang National Agricultural Science and Technology Park and the Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences Rice Research Institute, he inquired in detail about innovations in the seed industry and the protection of black soil. In Songyuan, Jilin, at Chagan Lake, he listened to presentations on ecological fisheries; at the Ningjiang District Dezhih Agricultural Cooperative, he carefully asked about the cooperative's business model and agricultural services...

During his research, Li Qiang emphasized the importance of implementing Xi Jinping's directives on the 'three rural issues' and ensuring national food security. He highlighted that food security is a 'major national concern,' asserting that 'the rice bowl of the Chinese people must always be firmly held in our own hands.' He called for 'continuously enhancing comprehensive agricultural production capacity to ensure a stable and safe supply of important agricultural products such as food,' and noted that 'the way to increase food production lies in technology,' among other points.

At first glance, it seems entirely normal for Li Qiang, as the Prime Minister, to conduct research in the significant northeastern grain-producing regions. However, a comparison with the research locations he visited in previous years reveals that this is not a typical occurrence. 

In mid-February 2025, Li Qiang visited Heilongjiang for research, focusing on ice and snow sports and the ice and snow economy. His research related to food took place in May 2024, during a snowfall, when he visited Henan. There, he emphasized the need to implement Xi's directives on agricultural modernization and stated the importance of 'solidly carrying out the 'Three Summers' work to ensure a bountiful summer grain harvest, while strengthening technological support and industry leadership,' among other priorities.

This indicates that in Li Qiang's research over the past few years, instances of studying grain-producing areas and expressing concern for grain production are quite rare. His low profile can be attributed to Xi Jinping's high-profile approach, which oversees everything, including food security.

A review of news from the past decade reveals Xi's significant emphasis on food security. State media have frequently reported that since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Xi has regarded food security as a 'major national issue' and a top priority in governance. He has consistently stressed that 'the rice bowl of the Chinese people must always be firmly held in our own hands, and it should primarily contain Chinese grain.'

Xi has also conducted research in several major grain-producing areas more than a dozen times. On July 30 of this year, he chaired a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, which called for 'coordinating development and security' and 'ensuring agricultural production to achieve a bountiful autumn grain harvest and a successful harvest for the entire year.'

In June, during an inspection in Dezhou, Shandong, Xi highlighted that 'ensuring the stable supply of important agricultural products, such as grain, is of utmost importance in agricultural production.'

On September 8, 2023, during his visit to Heilongjiang, Xi Jinping emphasized that the province should act as the "ballast stone" for national food security. He stated that "the primary focus should be on developing modern large-scale agriculture, accelerating the establishment of large agricultural bases, enterprises, and industries, and leading the way in modernizing agricultural material equipment, technology, management, agricultural information systems, and sustainable resource utilization...".

In February 2025, Xi visited Jilin Province for research, where he stressed that "ensuring national food security is the political responsibility of major agricultural and grain-producing provinces," and reiterated that "Jilin should prioritize the development of modern large-scale agriculture...".

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According to official data from the Communist Party of China, there are currently 13 provinces designated as major grain-producing areas, contributing over 75% of the national output and more than 80% of commercial grain. These include seven northern provinces: Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, Henan, Shandong, and Hebei, and six southern provinces: Anhui, Jiangsu, Sichuan, Hunan, Hubei, and Jiangxi. The Northeast region is a significant grain-producing area, with Heilongjiang ranking first among the three northeastern provinces.

By 2025, the total national grain production is expected to reach 14.3 trillion jin, with Heilongjiang contributing 80.02 million tons, maintaining its top position for 16 consecutive years. The increase in production from the main grain-producing areas is expected to be nearly 70% from the Northeast and Xinjiang combined.

Before the Chinese Communist Party’s Fifth Plenary Session, Li Qiang replaced Xi Jinping in conducting an inspection tour in Heilongjiang and spoke extensively about food security. The signals this released, much like the recent promotions of three officials associated with Li Qiang’s faction, suggest a rise in Li Qiang’s political standing. These three officials are Zhao Shiyong and Zhang Zhong, newly appointed deputy secretaries of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, and Zhu Zhongming, the newly appointed Party Secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Government, who is widely expected to become the next mayor of Shanghai.

So, in what way will Li Qiang ascend to the peak of power at the Fifth Plenary Session? Will he, in the future, take on the blame for the “June Fourth” crackdown on students and the suppression of Falun Gong, as Xi did? And if so, can he bear such a burden?

(First published by People News)