BEIJING -- It all began with a call by China's Ministry of Commerce for citizens to stockpile daily necessities, and before long the internet was rife with rumors of war with Taiwan. Now official media are scrambling to put out the fire, reassuring the country that there is no shortage of goods.
On Monday evening, the ministry issued a notice urging people to stock up on goods as part of a plan is to stabilize supply and prices of item such as vegetables from this winter through spring. "We recommend that you stockpile a certain amount of essentials as needed," it said.
