I'd just insert that we probably don't know the actual death rate in China. All we need to do is compare it to the death rate in South Korea, which, I submit, can be trusted a LOT more than official Chinese stats.

They do seem to eat anything that moves in China. My Danish undergrad professor used to summarize about China "If it moves, eat it. If it doesn't move, fuck it."

I used to look for vids of them eating live creatures that were still squirming. Apparently, this squirming thing is an indication of "freshness" and is highly valued. Animal suffering be damned.