China: Agricultural Biotechnology Annual
China is one of the largest producers of biotech cotton in the world. It is also the world’s largest importer of biotech crops, but it has not yet approved any major biotech food crops for cultivation. The Chinese government is in the process of revising its biotechnology regulatory system and is reportedly preparing to push ahead with the commercialization of biotech corn. Several domestic companies are reportedly preparing to submit Bt corn events for approval for domestic cultivation; the approval process is expected to take 3-5 years. At the same time, delays in import approvals continue to worsen, causing unpredictability for traders and delaying the adoption of needed new varieties in exporting countries such as the United States. In May 2015, the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) released a draft revision to its regulations governing biotechnology that would remove timelines for approvals and add economic and social factors to the approval process for the first time.
