The recent weather problems, and crop failures, have begun to affect the Chinese economy.

BBC
Chinese inflation hit an 11-year high in January after rising price pressures were exacerbated by fierce snow storms, official figures show.
Soaring food prices were largely blamed for pushing consumer inflation up to 7.1% last month, from 6.5% in December.

Inflation in China continues to rise despite higher interest rates and other measures by Beijing to keep the economy from overheating.

The worst winter for decades hit food supplies, sending food costs up 18%.

Massive snowfalls wrecked crops and killed millions of livestock.

But analysts cautioned that the severe weather was not the only factor behind rising food costs, and warned that prices could still increase further.

The Chinese economy is a balancing act. All of the factors that support its massive growth have to be in balance or the economy is seriously threatened. To my surprise, it’s the weather and costs driven up by Chinese demand that are the problem.

Had I thought a little bit harder, I would have realized that the increase in world commodity prices caused by China’s overwhelming demand would eventually affect China. With various metals, oil and other commodities reaching record highs, China is now in a bind.

While China does not supply all its food needs, in many categories it is self-sufficient. Now, with their weather woes, the Chinese will be forced to supplement their internal production on the world market. At the same time they are already forced to buy other necessary food and materials for consumer use and to support infrastructure growth.

Is there enough money? And, how long will the Chinese people wait? Civil unrest is one of the signs I have predicted that will foreshadow either a general collapse of Chinese society, or war by the Peking regime to obtain more cash reserves and raw materials.

China is so big that effects that would stagger the United States have much less of a result. There is a tipping point for any country, no matter how large. It is unlikely that this is it, but it is certainly a sign of things to come.