[maxglute]

US sanctions on PRC limit what PRC can buy now, may be confiscated pending US admin to prevent PRC spending later.

Meanwhile PRC trade surplus huge -> PRC USD reserves huge -> USD is strong and commodity prices not too whack due to global slow down.

Why not stock up now? Eventual global recovery could trigger expensive commodity super cycle. Would it be helpful in war, sure. But PRC needs to build up nukes first, going to take a few years for 50% parity.