China's Corn Import 'Going the Way of Soybean': More & More

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Chuin-Wei Yap, China Sees a Worrying History Lesson in Corn. China Real Time, Feb 13, 2014.
blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2014/02/13/china-sees-a-worrying-history-lesson-in-corn/

Quote:

"Told from some quarters, the story of the Chinese soybean is a lesson in a strategic error. Until the early years of the 21st century, China mostly grew its own soybeans. [Soybean] was once counted among the crops that contributed to Beijing’s totemic goal of having domestic grains feed at least 95% of its people’s consumption. The government hasn’t abandoned this self-sufficiency target, but it has dropped soybeans from the count, Mr Huang said. That’s because Beijing bowed to rising demand and opened its gates to soybean imports as part of its accession to the World Trade Organization. By 2004, soybean imports overtook domestic output. Today, China is the world’s largest soybean importer, importing 63.4 million metric tons last year – about a third came from the U.S. – while producing just 13 million tons for itself.

"What’s worrying people who think about China’s strategic independence: China’s corn market is showing signs of going the way of the soybean. Until 2010, China was a net exporter of corn. It turned net importer that year, with growth rates rising explosively. The US accounts for more than 90% of its supply. [no statistics given]

Note:
(a) "HUANG Dafang, the director of the Biotechnology Research Institute of Beijing’s influential Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences"
中国农业科学院生物技术研究所   黄 大昉
(b) "On Thursday [Feb 13], Mr Huang said the issue turned purely on compliance with the letter of the law, not on a question over the strain’s health standards. 'Based on what I know, [the rejection] was not a safety issue, but a procedural matter of Chinese law and requirements,' he said.
(i) He is in favor of GMO. For example, in the Web there was an article, "黄大昉：我为什么支持转基因.
(ii) The report at issue:

马丽, 黄大昉：我将美国转基因玉米退货不是因为安全问题. 人民网-科技频道, Feb 13, 2014.
scitech.people.com.cn/n/2014/0213/c1007-24353052.html