LITTLE FANFARE, MAJOR MOVE
?2. (SBU) On November 21, 2009, Beijing-based Origin Agritech announced that it is the first company to receive de-regulated status for genetically modified corn for planting in China. Confirmed by China’s Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), Origin’s phytase corn product received the final biosafety certificate that permits its domestic sale and marketing. China also granted a biosafety certificate to Huazhong University and Dr. Zhang Qifa for Bt rice. Reuters first announced the Bt rice news on November 27 and it was picked up by the Chinese media on November 30. On December 3, MOA posted formal confirmation of both authorizations on its website. The cultivation of corn will be limited to Shandong province and rice will be limited to Hubei province. Moreover, provincial seed registration procedures will likely prevent the first direct sales to farmers until at least the 2012 planting season.
2009年11月21日，北京Origin农业技术公司宣布其成为中国第一家获得解除管制状态的基因改造玉米用于种植的公司。由中国农业部（MOA）确认，Origin的转植酸酶玉米获得了最终生物安全认证，允许其国内市场销售。中国同时授予华中大学张启发博士Bt水稻的生物安全认证。路透社在11月27日首先报道了Bt水稻的消息，中国媒体11月30日报道。12月3日，中国农业部在其网站对两项认证予以正式确认。玉米种植将被限定于山东省，水稻种植将被限定在湖北省。另外，行政的种子注册程序将可能至少到2012年种植季前防止第一批种子直接销售给农民。

?3. (SBU) In 2008, seven million farmers grew biotech crops in China, about half of the global total. Chinese farmers grew biotech crops on 3.8 million hectares of land, making China the sixth largest producer of biotech crops by land area. Prior to this announcement, the list of genetically modified plants approved for planting in China included: cotton, tomato, sweet pepper, petunia, poplar, and papaya. Cotton and poplar trees are the only biotech plants grown on a large-scale in China. There is also limited production of biotech papaya. China also currently permits 28 varieties of biotech corn, cotton, canola, sugar beet, and soybean to be imported for processing.
在2008年， 中国有几百万农民种植生技作物，大约占全球的一半。中国农民在三百八十万公顷土地上种植生技作物，以面积计使得中国成为第六大生技作物生产国。在这项宣告 前，中国已批准种植的基因改造植物包括：棉花、西红柿、甜椒、矮牵牛花、杨树和番木瓜。仅有棉花和杨树这两种生技植物在中国大面积种植。还有有限产量的生 技番木瓜。中国最近也允许28个品种的生技作物进口加工，它们是玉米、棉花、加拿大油菜、甜菜和大豆。

CHINA ALREADY USES BIOTECH, WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL?
中国已经使用生物技术，有什么大不了？
?4. (SBU) China’s record on biotechnology is already impressive, but the agricultural world has been waiting expectantly for China to decide how it would approach the application of plant biotechnology in food crops. Why is the deregulation of biotech corn and rice is a ground-breaking event in Chinese agriculture and possible the history of this technology? The answer is that China’s application of plant biotechnology was narrow and omitted several key aspects of a country that intends to be a leader in the technology. There are three main reasons why current application has heretofore been considered “narrow”: 1) avoiding non-food crops; 2) using only proven technology; and 3) avoiding decisions related to environmental safety.
中国在生物技术上的记录已让人印象深刻，但是农业世界已在期待中国决定怎样将植物生物技术应用于食用作物。为什么撤销对生技玉米和水稻的管制是中国农业一 个突破性事件并可能成为该技术的历史？答案是中国对植物生物技术的应用是狭窄的，并且缺少了想要成为该技术领跑者的几个关键方面。为什么现有应用在此以前 被认为“狭窄”有三条主要原因：1）避免非食用作物；2）仅使用已验证过的技术；3）避免有关环境安全的决策。

5. (SBU) First, China’s commercial use of the technology is almost exclusively limited to non-food plants. Focusing on non-food plants minimizes the need to analyze the impact on human health, thus reducing risk to regulators and the personal consequences of making an incorrect decision. In addition, food security concerns do not come into play if the crop fails to produce as advertised or various factors lead to yields that are less than conventional varieties. Biotech papaya is an exception, but a very minor crop that accounts for far less than 1 percent of total biotech planted area. In fact, this rationale also applies to phytase corn because it will not be used directly in human food.
第一，中国对该技术的商业应用几乎被严格限制在非食用作物上。致力于非食用作物上最大程度降低了分析对人体健康影响的需要，这样减小了对管理者的风险和个 人做出错误决定的后果。另外，如果作物未能产生如宣传那样，或多种因素导致低于传统品种的产量，也不会引起食品安全担忧。生技番木瓜是一个例外，但仅有非 常少的种植，远低于生物技术总种植面积的1%。事实上，这一理由也用于转植酸酶玉米，因为它不会被直接用于人的食物。

6. (SBU) Second, the majority of the technology in use is proven technology, first tested and used in the United States. For example, the majority of the biotech planted area consists of a version of Roundup Ready cotton created in the United States and misappropriated for use in China. China’s biotech papaya was also originally developed in the United States. Using proven technology also limits the risk taken by Chinese regulators, which makes these early deregulated events safe choices for hesitant bureaucrats.
第二，正在使用的主要技术是已被验证的技术，首先在美国得以测试和使用。例如，主要的生技种植面积由一种美国创造的抗农达棉花组成，在中国是不正当使用。 中国生技番木瓜也源自美国开发。使用已被验证的技术也降低了中国管理者的风险，这些技术使这些早期撤销管制的项目成为犹豫的官员们安全的选择。

7. (SBU) Third, the current biotech agricultural crops are not native to China or have relatively unimportant wild relatives in China. This is a very important consideration. The stakes are far higher for regulators when dealing with plants that have wild, weedy cousins or where wild relatives are still important sources of genetic information for seed developers. Pollen drift is of particular importance in the debate about biotech rice in China and the rest of Asia. For this reason, the Chinese government poured extensive time and money into environmental risk analysis.
第三，现有生物技术农作物并非原产于中国或在中国有相对不重要的野生近缘种。这是非常重要的考虑。对管理者来说当处理的植物有野生的，杂草般的远亲或野生 近缘种仍然是育种时遗传信息的重要来源时，赌注变得更高。花粉漂移是中国及其它亚洲国家对生技水稻争论特别重要的一点。由此，中国++倾注了大量时间和资 金于环境风险评估。

LOGJAM BROKEN
打破阻碍
?9. (SBU) Many Chinese senior researchers had been discouraged from further research and investment in plant biotechnology by the barriers faced by developers of food crops and of China-origin technologies. Cotton is one of the most agrochemical-intensive crops and Chinese researchers for years have shown the significant reduction in chemical use and improved worker health associated with biotech cotton. Despite cotton’s obvious success, there was a feeling of frustration in the research community by 2008.
由于食用作物和中国自主技术开发商面临许多障碍，许多中国资深研究者已经对进一步研究和对植物生物技术投入上失去信心。棉花是农用化学品最集中使用的作物 之一，中国研究者已在多年中显示显著降低了与生技棉花相关的化学品的使用并促进了工人的健康。尽管棉花明显的成功，研究团队在2008年仍感到被挫败。

不管说些什么，转基因最好不要吃

转基因的东西让领导试吃，没问题再推广

7. (SBU) Third, the current biotech agricultural crops are not native to China or have relatively unimportant wild relatives in China. This is a very important consideration. The stakes are far higher for regulators when dealing with plants that have wild, weedy cousins or where wild relatives are still important sources of genetic information for seed developers. Pollen drift is of particular importance in the debate about biotech rice in China and the rest of Asia. For this reason, the Chinese government poured extensive time and money into environmental risk analysis.
第三，现有生物技术农作物并非原产于中国或在中国有相对不重要的野生近缘种。这是非常重要的考虑。对管理者来说当处理的植物有野生的，杂草般的远亲或野生 近缘种仍然是育种时遗传信息的重要来源时，赌注变得更高。花粉漂移是中国及其它亚洲国家对生技水稻争论特别重要的一点。由此，中国政府倾注了大量时间和资 金于环境风险评估。