Circularity at the regional scale requires nitrogen (N) excess avoidance through crop-livestock. This could contrast with satisfying local meat demand. We aimed at 1) classifying 261 eastern China regions according to their ability/inability to satisfy local meat demand and their deficiency/excess of manure N; 2) analysing scenarios of decreased livestock numbers. For 1) we compared meat demand (based on healthy diet recommendations) with meat production (based on livestock abundance and productivity data) and manure production (based of livestock abundance and productivity data) with manure demand (based on crop and nitrogen crop demand data). For 2) we set livestock quantities in each region to some key levels: the level meeting local meat self-sufficiency (scenario A), the level meeting local manure demand (scenario B), the level meeting local meat self-sufficiency in case manure N is not in excess, otherwise manure N excess avoidance is prioritized (scenario C). Concerning 1), our scenario showed that 15% of the analysed regions could meet meat self-sufficiency without manure N excess, however in 76% of the regions meat self-sufficiency was met but while causing manure N excess. Concerning 2) scenario C was the best performing, with 50% of the regions that could meet meat self-sufficiency (according to healthy diet recommendations) while avoiding manure N balance. This scenario achieved, at the level of the whole eastern China a global meat self-sufficiency and avoidance of N excess. Our results suggested that, while a trade-off exists between achieving meet self-sufficiency and avoiding excess of manure N, livestock is in excess in many Chinese regions and, in order to improve the allocation of livestock quantities in the regions, it is a good strategy to prioritise the avoidance of manure N excess. Improving circularity requires solutions for increasing the use of manure nitrogen as substitute of synthetic fertilizer in order to soften the trade-off. Further perspectives should also take into account the self-sufficiency of feed.