The Chinese government has launched a campaign on TV, newspapers and the Internet to build public support for genetically engineered crops, says Reuters. It quotes an Agriculture Ministry statement as saying, “(We will create) a social atmosphere which is beneficial for the healthy development of the genetically-modified industry.” The technology was put under a cloud by reports that GE rice was sold illegally in central China.
Beijing is a long-time supporter of agricultural biotechnology and imports millions of tons of corn and soybeans, much of it GE varieties. But it has yet to approve GE crops for domestic production after developing two pest-resistant varieties of rice and one of biotech corn. In a newly published speech, President Xi Jinping urged Chinese industry to be bold in competition with foreign GE companies, said Reuters.