With only 2.6% of total water resources in China, the Yellow River irrigates 9.7% of croplands and is crucial in exports outside the basin. Combining the volume and diversity of products exported, economic complexity is a quantification of regional production potential, providing a new perspective on the virtual water footprint. Here, by investigating the complexity of virtual water flows, our results indicate that Yellow River water footprints undertook a significant (p<0.01) increasingly larger role in the complexity of crops supply in China. The increasing complexity contributed by both uniqueness of crop products and competitive enhancement. This means that despite the pressure on water resources in the Yellow River Basin, it assumes an irreplaceable position and increasing trend in ensuring China's crop productions.