China to consider enacting the first law on genetically modified technology

Lead: Beijing (Reuters) - China is considering enacting laws on the application of biotechnology in agricultural products to protect the environment and people's health, state news agencies said on Monday Xinhua, the state-owned news agency, said the law would provide for regular testing of biotechnology to reduce ecological damage In order to protect human health, it is necessary to evaluate the risk of mass production of genetically modified food 'we urgently need such a law to ensure the safety of many areas of our country, including agriculture, pharmaceutical industry, trade and the environment,' China Daily quoted an official from SEPA as saying The national environmental protection agency is working with several ministries to draft the law and plans to submit it to China's parliament and people's Congress for approval, China Daily reported The law will also include provisions for testing imported varieties such as genetically modified seeds Last year, China issued regulations on the management of genetically modified organisms, and in January this year issued detailed rules for the implementation of the regulations, which affected trade relations with the United States The Chinese government requires exporters of genetically modified products to apply for safety certificates for their products to prove that they are harmless to human beings, animals and the environment U.S officials have accused the import regulations of being more based on trade protection than science The detailed rules for the implementation of the regulations came into effect on March 20 Due to the confusion about the regulations and the fear that the application for the safety certificate could not be obtained, the soybean trade between the United States and China was actually stagnant, because 70% of the soybeans in the United States were genetically modified soybeans In March, the United States concluded a deal with China, in which the Chinese government announced Interim Measures for the import of genetically modified products, reducing the approval process and time It is not clear whether the regulations to be submitted are related to the provisions of GMS certificates According to China Daily, China supports the development of genetically modified technology, increases food production, strengthens medicine and environmental protection, but China Daily did not elaborate on this China's Ministry of agriculture earlier this year drafted rules that require all GM imports to be clearly labeled.