GMOs Key Issue in Sino-US Trade
秦天宝
【关键词】GMOs； Sino-US Trade
【全文】
The dispute over genetically modified organisms (GMOs) could turn out to be a time bomb in Sino-US trade ties if the two countries fail to solve it properly through negotiations. The Chinese agriculture ministry issued two provisions in Januar, all imports of GMOs must have a safety certificate from the State Council and must be labelled as genetically modified before they are sold in China, which is the fifth largest export market for US agricultural products.
The requirement for labelling GMOs has upset some major GMO-producing countries, particularly the United States.
Shortly after the new rule was enacted, some accused China of trade protectionism under the banner of food safety.
Some American exporters of bioengineered food have even asked their government to sue China at the World Trade Organization, adding strain to bilateral trade relations. The acreage of GMOs in the world have surged from 1.7 million hectares in 1996 to 50 million hectares at the end of last year following the rapid progress of biotechnology. GMOs are created when scientists change the gene information of many organisms to get superior strains such as pest-resistant corns and anti-freezing tomatoes. GMOs mainly grow in the United States, Canada and Argentina.
Bioengineered organisms usually have a much higher yield than traditional strains but require less cost and pesticides which pollute food and the environment.
Despite the obvious advantages of bioengineered foods however, some scientists warn that artificially changing the nature of organisms may produce unforeseeable danger.
A widespread worry is that some genetically modified foods may contain poisonous elements given that scientists cannot perfectly control the results of gene modification.
