The Chinese government is taking a prudent attitude towards genetically-modified crops and has started drawing up regulations on the control of biological technologies, Shi Yuanchun, vice-chairman of the China Association for Science and Technology, said Thursday.
He made the remarks while answering questions at a press conference sponsored by the ongoing Fourth Session of the Ninth National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
Shi, who is also an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said GM technology is itself neutral, but since GM means the transfer of an outside gene into a living body, it does represent a potential danger to the human being that needs to be examined and supervised.
Shi said the Chinese government has been paying great attention to the biological safety issue, including the issue of GM food.
China has drafted regulations concerning the safety of farm products, tobacco and medicine and has started drawing up regulations on the safety of biological technology.
China has not issued any license for the production of GM food so far, he said.
(People's Daily 03/08/2001)
