Beijing Backs Gene-Edited Crops in Major High-Tech Farming Push

1. China has for the first time explicitly designated gene-editing as a critical core agricultural technology in its national planning, signaling a major state-backed push to advance high-tech seed breeding and bolster food security [para. 1]. The State Council’s 15th Five-Year Plan for Accelerating Agricultural and Rural Modernization outlines key technological breakthroughs under the banner of “agricultural new quality productive forces,” calling for the development of new gene-editing tools and innovations in multi-target, high-efficiency gene editing and precise single-base editing [para. 2].

2. Gene editing involves using biological techniques to cut and modify specific sites in a genome, allowing the target organism to express desired traits. Unlike traditional genetically modified crops that introduce foreign genes, China’s regulatory framework defines gene-edited plants primarily as those with targeted modifications and “no foreign genes introduced,” while crops with foreign genes face stricter safety evaluation guidelines [para. 3].

3. Biological breeding has been repeatedly highlighted in central government policy documents in recent years, especially after China kicked off the commercialization of major genetically modified crops. The broader outline for the 15th Five-Year Plan, approved by the National People’s Congress, pledged to “continue promoting the industrialization of biological breeding,” and the state agricultural plan goes further, calling for breakthroughs in enzyme preparations, intelligent design of biological germplasm, and smart fermentation [para. 4].

4. Under the plan, Beijing aims to leverage its state-led “whole-nation system” to foster cross-disciplinary collaboration and make “decisive breakthroughs” in key agricultural core technologies. The guidelines propose exploring long-term funding models for basic research, cultivating emerging and future industries in the agricultural sector, and rejuvenating the seed industry through precise identification of germplasm resources, gene mining, and the development of commercial breeding systems [para. 5].

5. Despite the policy push, commercialization remains in its early stages. Under the Seed Law, major crops must undergo national- or provincial-level approvals before promotion, and seed developers must obtain production and operating licenses [para. 6]. The commercialization process mirrors that of genetically modified crops: receiving a biosafety certificate is only the first step; developers must then complete regional and production trials, obtain variety approval certificates, and clear strict audits for production and business permits [para. 7].

6. In 2023 and 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs issued 10 biosafety certificates for agricultural gene-edited organisms across four batches, covering five soybean projects, two corn, two wheat, and one rice [para. 8]. Shandong Shunfeng Biotechnology Co. Ltd. obtained China’s first-ever agricultural gene-editing biosafety certificate in April 2023 and now holds certificates for two soybean projects and one corn project [para. 9]. Shunfeng was established in Jinan, Shandong, in 2018 with government guidance fund backing, founded by a team led by molecular geneticist Zhu Jiankang, who was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in 2010 and later became president of Macau University of Science and Technology in January 2026 [para. 10].

7. Another heavyweight is Beijing Qi Biodesign Technology Co. Ltd., which holds five biosafety certificates (independently or jointly) covering two soybean, two wheat, and one rice project. Since its founding in 2021, Qi Biodesign has secured at least four rounds of financing totaling more than 500 million yuan ($73.81 million) [para. 11]. It was co-founded by Gao Caixia, a researcher at the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Kevin Zhao, who studied under Harvard gene-editing scientist David Liu. Gao’s research was recognized among China’s top 10 scientific advances in 2023 and named one of Nature’s seven technologies to watch in 2024 [para. 12].

8. In late May 2024, Qi Biodesign’s high-oleic soybean, P16, received regulatory exemption from the U.S. Department of Agriculture—the first Chinese gene-edited product to secure such an exemption. By editing the soybean’s endogenous fatty acid desaturase gene, the company raised oleic acid content to over 80%. The soybean received a Chinese biosafety certificate in January 2024, and the U.S. exemption clears the path for market sales [para. 12]. Other players are entering the arena: in the fourth batch of biosafety certificates issued in late December 2024, China National Seed Group Co. Ltd. received approval for a soybean project, while Wimi Biotechnology (Hainan) Co. Ltd. and Huazhong Agricultural University jointly secured a certificate for a corn project [para. 13].