World's Fourth Gene Bank Opens in Shenzhen

(Beijing) — China has launched the world's fourth national-level gene storage bank, complementing similar facilities in the United States, Europe and Japan, in a bid to position the country for future growth in lucrative biotech fields such as curing diseases and developing new agricultural products.

The Thursday launch of the China National Genebank (CNGB) in the southern boomtown of Shenzhen is part of Beijing's broader effort to develop emerging high-tech industries with big growth potential, to replace lower-margin manufacturing that has been China's mainstay for the last two decades.