An old saying in English, "when pigs fly," is about something so far-fetched that it is impossible. The last month has brought the prospect that pigs may fly — not by sprouting their own wings but in modern aircraft and courtesy of a mega-deal by a Chinese company to buy an American pork producer. But the deal has also attracted opposition, with influential Americans saying it should be stopped on security grounds. Is pork really a matter of national security? How many assorted security concerns can one country have?
China's Shuanghui International agreed to buy Smithfield Foods, the world's largest pork producer, for $4.7 billion (or $7.1 billion including debt). Some members of Congress were incandescent with anger at prime brands like Armour passing into Chinese hands. Security experts expressed worries about a Chinese choke point over American food supplies.
Lobbyists pointed out that U.S. food imports grew to 16 percent in 2011, almost doubling in a decade, and that China is the leading supplier of staple products like apples, potatoes and peas.