Delicacies for a Privileged Class in a Risk Society：The Chinese Communist Party's Special Supplies Food System

This paper discusses the history and operation of the tegong(special supplies) system for foodstuffs operated bv the Chinese Communist Party(COP) The system has heen an existence since the Yan'an period and is still being practiced today. It was originally introduced too deal with China's shortage economy during the era of Mao Zedong. Nowadays, the issue of foodd safety has made China a risk society, making if necessary for the CCP to provide its privileged class with food that is safe for con- sumption. we distinguish two categories of food supplies in terms of their operation: dedicated supplies for special needs and routine tegong. In adlilion, we believe that an alliance relationtship between the government and food enterprises has emerged wathin the tegong svstem, with gov- ernment officials and businesses colluding to their mutual benefit and profit. The paper concludes that the continuation of the tegong system signifies the persissence of a high degree of social inequality in mdern-day China.