TOKYO -- China's vast demand for steel, copper and chemical products has long shaken global markets. Now its hunger for meat is having similarly wide implications.
Ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays, which begin on Saturday, China's government worried about whether there would be enough pork to satisfy demand. Yu Kangzhen, vice minister of agriculture and rural affairs, on Jan. 8 calmed matters by saying supplies of the staple would be stable throughout the holiday period, also known as the Spring Festival.
