國務院專家 中國將繼續研究轉基因糧食

A stream of public criticism from retired military officials against China's rising engagement with genetically modified food doesn't amount to institutional hostility against the science, a senior adviser to Beijing's cabinet said.

中國國務院一位高級顧問表示，一些軍方退休官員對中國越來越多地參與轉基因食品發展提出的公開批評並不意味着政府將從制度上反對轉基因技術。

Ye Xingqing, director of the rural economy department at the State Council Development Research Center, said Beijing still regards GMO as the kind of cutting-edge global technology the country must pursue, at least in research, despite vocal sections of public opinion that oppose broadening the use of GMO food for human use.

國務院發展研究中心農村經濟研究部部長葉興慶說，中國政府仍然把轉基因視爲一項先進的全球技術，雖然公衆有反對擴大人食用轉基因食品範圍的聲音，但中國至少會繼續對轉基因技術進行研究。

Recent essays published in local newspapers by some of China's former brass drew attention to fears that GMOs might be a way by which a Western conspiracy, led by the U.S., could further undermine China's security. But this is mostly coming from some retired officers writing on an issue outside their areas of expertise, Mr. Ye told the Wall Street Journal at a China Europe International Business School conference on Sunday.

本地報紙近期刊發了一些原軍方人士的文章，這些文章懷疑轉基因食品可能是美國牽頭的西方對中國實施的陰謀，可能進一步危害中國的安全，文章發表後引發了外界關注。但葉興慶在週日的中歐國際工商學院(China Europe International Business School)論壇上向《華爾街日報》(Wall Street Journal)表示，這主要是一些退休的軍方官員在並非自己專業領域的一個問題上發表的看法。

'They think GMOs are a technology with ulterior motives, and that Americans are laying a trap for the Chinese. But not all ordinary Chinese support this opinion, and Chinese officials also feel that GMO is essentially a technological issue, not a political question or one with ulterior motives,' Mr. Ye said.

葉興慶稱，他們認爲轉基因是一種別有用心的技術，美國人是在給中國人設圈套。但他指出，並非所有普通的中國人都支持這一觀點，中國領導層也認爲轉基因在本質上是一個技術問題，而不是一個政治問題，或者是有什麼不可告人的目的。

Mr. Ye's remarks offer an insight to the different stripes of opinion that make GMOs one of China's most contentious public policy issues. They also underline that, despite recent controversy over China's rejection of some GMO U.S. corn imports, Beijing squarely recognizes that it must embrace the technology, even if it would rather do so on its own terms.

從葉興慶的話中可以看出中國對轉基因食品的各種不同觀點，這些觀點使轉基因食品成爲中國最具爭議的公共政策問題之一。他的話還顯示出，儘管中國最近拒絕部分美國輸華轉基因玉米引發了爭議，但北京明確承認，中國必須接受這一技術，即便中國希望根據自己的條件接受這一技術。

The discovery of the MIR-162 GMO strain -- a strain which Beijing is still studying and hasn't yet approved-- among U.S. corn shipments in November and December came amid record-high imports of the yellow grain to China. The scandal blunted bookings of U.S. corn, Mr. Ye said.

去年11月和12月，在美國輸華的玉米中發現MIR-162轉基因成分；此事恰逢中國進口玉米創紀錄高點之際。葉興慶說，這一醜聞影響了美國玉米的訂貨量。目前北京仍在對MIR-162轉基因成分進行研究，尚未批准。

As a result, corn shipments from the U.S. in March and April have begun giving way to purchases from Ukraine and Thailand. But, even though the diversification of its suppliers may be a desirable goal, Beijing isn't deliberately pursuing such a policy just yet, Mr. Ye said. The shifts in China's corn supply base are largely 'a market matter,' made noticeable only because their relatively low base makes volume changes more pronounced, he said.

由於上述事件，3月份和4月份中國從美國進口的玉米開始讓位於從烏克蘭和泰國進口的玉米。葉興慶說，但儘管供應國的多元化可能是一個可取的目標，但北京目前尚未特意追求這樣一種政策。他說，中國玉米供應基地的轉變從很大程度上是市場問題，僅僅因爲較低的基數使得進口量變化顯得更爲突出，這個問題才變得更引人注目。

China's rising wealth and demographic changes are driving a revamp in how Beijing manages the security of its food resources. Though domestic production is still its most important policy, imports have become an increasingly crucial component, Mr. Ye said. But agriculture officials are keen to stress that the world doesn't have to fear that China's entry into global food markets would result in a beggar-thy-neighbor policy.

中國不斷增長的財富和人口結構的變化開始推動北京調整其保障糧食資源安全的方式。葉興慶說，儘管國內生產仍是中國最重要的政策，進口已經成爲一個日益重要的成分。但農業官員希望強調的是，世界不必擔心中國進入全球糧食市場會催生以鄰爲壑的政策。

'Import increases will be gradual, even and slow,' Mr. Ye said.

葉興慶說，進口的增加將是逐步的、均勻的、緩慢的。