[File Photo]

As a world leader in the development of genetically modified (GM) technology, China will promote the commercial cultivation of GM crops over the next five years, which experts believe can push forward the country’s sustainable development of agriculture.

“Generally speaking, China ranks second only to the U.S. in GM technology, beating countries like Japan and Germany. The country has already made great achievements in GM research, and the commercial cultivation of herbicide-tolerant GM soybeans as well as insect-resistant GM corn will likely take place in the next five years,” said Wan Jianmin, an academic with the Chinese Academy of Engineering, in an interview with thepaper.cn.

According to Wan, China has successfully obtained 137 genes that have significant value in breeding. Chinese scientists have also cloned 3,160 important gene traits. Such fruitful results have challenged the dominance of Europe and the U.S. in gene-related patents.

China has been making a major effort in GM research and the commercial cultivation of GM crops in the past few years. Since 2008, the country has developed technology for gene cloning, genetic transformation, the breeding of new varieties and safety evaluation. In April, China’s Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) created a list of goals related to GM technology for the 13th Five-Year Plan period. The list has a clear emphasis on industrializing the cultivation of certain GM cash crops.

Dismissing widespread public concern that GM products may damage people’s health, Lin Xiangming, director of GM organism safety and intellectual property at the MOA, told thepaper.cn that GM products contain no dangerous substances, and that GM food approved by the government is “completely safe to eat.”