Analysis On Expanding Rice Import From ASEAN In China

China is one of the world’s largest rice producing and consuming counties, in recent years China’s rice production has achieved great success. Not only rice consumption and production as a whole is remained imbalanced, but there are also regional supply and demand imbalance. As China’s urbanization and industrialization rapidly develop, per capita arable land and water resources continue declining, rice production environment is deteriorating, earnings continue reducing, the balance of rice supply and demand in the future is facing challenges. With the world economic integration developmet, there is national boundaries of resource allocation and utilization, product market. China should accord to the theory of comparative advantage and combine with the actual situation to the develop rice trade. Using of the international market is conducive to the agricultural comparative advantage and to effective come true the food security. ASEAN as an an important economic cooperative partner with China, rice trading with Thailand and Vietnam is helpful to achieve food diversification and reduce the burden of domestic rice production.This paper from overall and regional aspects to overview rice supply and demand.China’s rice supply ability will be remained basically unchanged, while demand for rice will rapidly rise, there is a certain gap between production and demand in general. while rice supply and demand imbalances between regions has further exacerbating trend, the contradiction between rice supply and demand is mainly reflected in the tight balance in region.Secondly, this paper analyzes the rice trade general situation, rice export volume is declining year by year. China has become a net rice importer in2012, but the rice imports accounted for the low proportion of quotas, indicating that there is room for further improvement. ASEAN occupies a decisive role in China’s rice import sources countries, so the main analysis of rice trade is between China and ASEAN. This paper is based on International Market Share and Trade Competitiveness index to analyze Chinese rice competitiveness. The result shows that China rice competitiveness is negative, and do not have the export competitiveness. This paper analysis from three aspects of the cultivated land resources, water resources and the producers profit. Limited and affected by the monsoon climate, the expansion of cultivated area is very unlikely. Water is a necessary prerequisite for the development of rice cultivation, but China is a water-stressed country facing with water shortage problem. Compared with other economic crops, the high cost of rice planting and low benefits means that enlarger rice cultivation area is not consistent with the principles of resource efficient allocation.Finally the paper analyzes feasibility of China expand rice imports from ASEAN and the strategic significance. China’s food self-sufficiency rate remained stable at more than95%, especially rice self-sufficiency rate can reach97%. Appropriately expand rice import from ASEAN will not threat China’s grain security. In recent years, Thailand and Vietnam rice output continues to grow, China expands rice imports from ASEAN is feasible. Rice trade whit Thailand and Vietnam is helpful to reduce adverse effects arosed by international grain market fluctuate and achieve geopolitical and economic goals.In based on the above analysis, this paper put forward the recommendations:China should be based on the comparative advantage theory, encourage rice imports within the food security to more rational allocate resources.