Totalitarian governments do not care too much about their people or what they're eating. For them people are mere means of production, just like tractors or med

Totalitarian governments do not care too much about their people or what they're eating. For them people are mere means of production, just like tractors or medieval peons. They only care about exports and hard currency. If soybeans are used to feed what becomes exported goods (cattle, beef?), then it's a problem. If there's a shortage of soy sauce, no so much of a problem. Most of that would go to exports anyway, while the majority of Chinese people will use something else in their food.