Need to stockpile goods? Don't think too much

A notice released by the Ministry of Commerce recently in which it encouraged Chinese families to store a certain amount of daily necessities to meet their daily needs in case of emergency sparked controversy on social media.

In response, China's national newspaper Economic Daily on Tuesday told netizens not to overthink or misunderstand the notice: "It's totally unnecessary to feel anxiety."

The purpose of the notice is to make sure residents are not caught off guard if there is a temporary lockdown in their communities due to pandemic outbreaks, the newspaper said.

In the long run, it is also meant to advocate for residents to enhance their awareness of emergency management and increase the reserve of family emergency goods as a necessary supplement to the national emergency system, the newspaper added.

In the notice, the ministry also urges local authorities to ensure an adequate supply of citizens' daily necessities such as vegetables and meat for this winter and next spring and to maintain stable market prices, and also to issue early warnings of any problems.

It added that information related to pricing and supply and demand of commodities should be released in a timely manner to stabilize social expectations.

In the case of closed-loop management measures for pandemic prevention and control, it is necessary to promptly identify the source of goods and the addresses and contact information of outlets to meet people's needs for purchasing daily necessities in emergencies, the notice said.