The killer typhoon that hit southern China this week is the latest in a summer of disasters causing huge losses for the country's industry and agriculture.
In a new sign of portending problems, the government Wednesday issued an "urgent notice" calling for measures to stabilize prices of vegetables, pork and other foods.The prices of these items have been going up too fast this summer in the cities, the Ministry of Internal Trade said in its circular to officials nationwide.
It suggested ways to curb price increases in state-owned stores and called for a crackdown on hoarding food to drive prices higher.
Meanwhile, the toll of dead rose to at least 710 from Typhoon Fred, which hit coastal Zhejiang province on Monday. The toll was likely to rise as more information is gathered, an official with the provincial government said in a telephone interview today.
"It was very serious because of the combination of high winds, heavy rains and high waves that caused flooding," said the official, who declined to give his name.
Wenzhou, a city of 6 million people with a flourishing private economy, was especially hard hit. Electricity was knocked out and had only been partially restored by today, the official said.
Chinese leaders hail Wenzhou as a symbol of the country's rapid economic growth.
More than 90,000 businesses in Wenzhou and nearby areas were shut down, and 741,000 acres of farmland throughout Zhejiang province were damaged.