In contrast to most of the developing world, China has aggressively embraced genetically modified crops, rapidly stepping up GM crop research over the past ten years. China's population is expected to swell to 1.6 billion by 2030. To keep pace, the nation needs to boost grain production by 60 percent over the next 30 years. The Chinese government sees GM crops as key to reaching that goal. The nation's leaders have also stated their wish to prevent the West from claiming complete dominance of GM technology. The government has granted commercial licenses for insect-resistant cotton and slow-ripening, virus-resistant tomatoes, among other crops. In 2000 China ranked fourth in land area planted to transgenic crops (after the United States, Canada, and Argentina), with 1 percent of the global GM crop area. Currently China requires no labeling of foods produced from GM crops.

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