There are three purposes to this paper. First, I survey the process and mechanism of the rapid economic growth over the last three decades in China. Second, the nature of growth and structural change in Chinese agriculture over this period are clarified using official data. And third, I analyze the trends and main features of Chinese trade in agricultural products, especially between China and Japan. The main conclusion is that Japan should recognize China as an increasingly important factor in the realization of Japanese food security, as economic interdependence is becoming stronger and stronger between the two countries.