Beijing has stored 5,000 tons of salt for emergency use, according to the Municipal Bureau of Commerce.

The municipal government made the decision to store emergency salt on July 1, the bureau said.

Relevant governmental bureaus have signed agreements with the contracted companies and so far, all 5,000 tons have been in place according to specifications, criteria and quantity set by the government, the bureau said.

In addition to salt, Beijing has stored other emergency necessities of life, such as grain, edible oil, pork, beef, mutton, sugar and eggs.

"That is to ensure supply and a stable market and deal with possible emergency," the bureau said. "It will also improve the government's capability for dealing with emergencies and the capability for regulating the market."

Beijing is a major consumer of salt, with a yearly demand of more than 100,000 tons, statistics show.

Salt is bought from outside Beijing and takes approximately 15 days -- ordering, signing contracts, transporting -- to reach the city, the bureau said.

Extrinsic factors, such as providers, transportation and unpredictable accidents, may possibly affect the supplying market of salt, said the bureau, adding that panicked buying of salt has happened many times in history of Beijing.

During the scare-buying period triggered by the deadly SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) epidemic that hit Beijing between April and June in 2003, the city sold more than 7,500 tons of salt, the bureau said.

(Xinhua News Agency September 14, 2005)