China's genetically modified (GM) food market cannot be dominated by foreign products, a senior rural affairs official said on Tuesday.

Han Jun, deputy head of the office for the central leading group on agricultural work, made his statement amidst calls by authorities for intensified efforts to ease public fears over GM products.

As a nation with a huge population to feed, the country will continue to support GM food research, Han said, also hinting that it will support the commercialization of domestic GM products.

To date China has only approved the production of GM cotton and papaya, and prohibits commercial production of any GM staple foods. However, it is a major importer of GM farm produce, including soybean, rapeseed, cotton and corn. China imported over 71 million tonnes of soybean last year, the majority of this being GM product, Han said.

GM technology is very promising, Han said. Although China lags behind the most advanced countries at the overall level, there are some areas in which it leads the world - particularly in research into GM rice and corn.

Han also hopes the public will be able to gain a clear and comprehensive understanding of GM technology.