Commentary The top headlines of Beijing’s mouthpiece Xinhua are usually reserved for Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s highest propaganda agenda. On Dec. 22, however, the top news was temporarily replaced with an article, titled, “China Considers Anti-Food Waste Law to Ensure Food Security.” The article discussed issues such as “the standard for food waste,” which includes imposing fines. “Radio stations, TV stations, and online audio-video service providers who produce, release, or spread content advocating gluttony will also receive a fine,” the report said. For such an article to occupy Xi’s propaganda space can only mean one thing: China is facing a food shortage crisis. In early December, Reuters reported that for the first time in nearly 30 years, China purchased 100,000 tons of rice from India. Although Chinese state media had forecasted a bumper harvest for the year 2020, China suffered successive disasters, including the COVID-19 pandemic, floods, locust plagues, and storms. …