守护农业“中国芯” 千亿种业安全受关注

Core Viewpoint - The article emphasizes the critical importance of seed security in China's agricultural sector, highlighting the threats posed by foreign espionage in the collection of genetic data and parent seeds, which jeopardizes national food security and agricultural competitiveness [1][4]. Group 1: Espionage Threats - Foreign intelligence agencies are actively infiltrating China's grain sector to illegally collect genetic data and parent seeds of crops like rice, soybeans, and corn, posing a significant risk to the core competitiveness of China's seed industry and food security [1][4]. - A specific case involved a former general manager of an agricultural technology company who illegally sold five types of parent rice seeds disguised as ordinary seeds to foreign espionage agencies, potentially allowing foreign entities to gain access to China's hybrid rice technology [2][4]. - The illegal collection of parent seeds can lead to the development of competitive crop varieties by foreign powers, which could undermine China's seed market and agricultural development [2][4]. Group 2: Legal and Regulatory Measures - The Chinese government is urged to strengthen laws and regulations, enhance technological defenses, and promote independent innovation to safeguard the seed industry and food security [1][7]. - The revised Seed Law elevates the protection of genetic resources to a national security level, and a hotline has been established to report suspicious seed procurement activities [5][7]. - Experts recommend improving the legal framework, including the Seed Law and Anti-Espionage Law, to increase penalties for the theft of genetic resources and to establish a robust intellectual property protection system for the seed industry [7]. Group 3: Agricultural Development and Innovation - China's seed industry is experiencing rapid growth, with the total output value surpassing 150 billion RMB in 2022, reflecting a year-on-year increase of over 10% [6]. - Leading companies in the sector, such as Longping High-Tech, Beidahuang Group, and Syngenta China, are capturing significant market shares in rice, wheat, and corn [6]. - The government is implementing a comprehensive action plan to promote independent innovation in the seed industry, aiming for self-sufficiency and control over seed sources by 2025 [6].