The agricultural GMO market cannot be entirely occupied by foreign products
Han Jun, deputy director of the Office of the Central Rural Work Leading Group, said yesterday that China cannot fall behind in research on genetically modified biotechnology, and China's agricultural GMO product market cannot be entirely occupied by foreign products.
The 2015 No. 1 Central Document was officially released recently, and "strengthening research on agricultural genetically modified biotechnology, safety management, and science popularization" was written into the document. In response, the State Council Information Office held a press conference yesterday to provide an interpretation.
At the press conference, Han Jun said that the state's policy on GMOs has been consistent, because GMOs are a new technology and new industry with great development prospects; China started research in the GMO field relatively early and has a strong team of scientists. Although there is still an obvious gap overall compared with the research level of developed countries in the world, in some fields China can be said to be at the world's leading level, especially in research on genetically modified rice and corn.
Han Jun stressed that China supports scientists in seizing the commanding heights of agricultural genetically modified biotechnology, and that in research on genetically modified biotechnology, China cannot fall behind. This point is clear.
Han Jun also said that China has already established a legal and regulatory system, technical protocol system, and administrative management system for the safety management of agricultural genetically modified biotechnology that is in line with international standards. This system covers every link from research, testing, production, processing, and import licensing to product labeling. If someone makes or plants them privately without approval, that is illegal. As soon as the competent administrative department discovers it, it will certainly impose severe punishment in accordance with the law.
Han Jun said that first it should be acknowledged that GMOs are a scientific issue. Those who do not conduct research do not necessarily understand its ins and outs very accurately, but GMOs are also a very sensitive issue of concern to the whole society and a hot issue of concern to ordinary people in their daily lives. Therefore, a scientific issue sometimes becomes a social issue.
In this regard, Han Jun said that it is necessary to lift the mysterious veil from GMO technology and, on the basis of respecting science, view GMO technology and GMO products more rationally. "As a major country, one point is clear for China: China's agricultural GMO product market cannot be entirely occupied by foreign products."