A Chinese government statement urging local authorities to ensure an adequate food supply during the winter and urging people to stock up on some basic necessities has sparked worried conversations online, with people attributing it to the expanding coronavirus outbreak, a projected cold snap, or even rising tensions with Taiwan.

The Commerce Department has called on local authorities to stabilize prices and secure supplies of basic necessities, including vegetables, this winter and next spring. Chinese households were also advised to stock up on a certain amount of basic necessities in preparation for the winter months or emergencies.

The notice was similar to the one issued in September ahead of the holiday week in early October, in which local governments were ordered to ensure food supplies and stable prices during the break. This may be due to the expanding coronavirus outbreak, which triggered a new round of lockdowns and travel restrictions after it spread to more than half of the mainland's provinces.

"The Department of Commerce Encourages Households to Stockpile Essentials as Needed" received 17 million views on Weibo, the Chinese social media platform similar to Twitter, and more than 5,000 people commented on it as of 13:45 .m Tuesday Beijing time. Several comments have suggested that the request for food supplies should be linked to plans to attack Taiwan.

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