A federal analysis released this week cautioned that China's drive to become self-sufficient and solve its food security problems might place the United States, as the world's biggest agricultural producer, in Beijing's sights.
The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) released a report warning that China's attempts to strengthen its agricultural sector are not just an economic challenge, but also a security threat to the US.Due to China's inability to secure enough local output to feed its massive population, it has turned to countries like the United States to get cropland, cattle, equipment, and intellectual property – sometimes by stealing it.
"The United States is a global leader in all of these industries," according to the report, "making it a key trading partner and a frequent target of China's efforts to boost its farm sector and food security, often through illegal means."
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China is vying for dominance in the genetically modified seed market, which has the potential to generate large profits.
Increasing Beijing's seed stockpiles would not only lessen Beijing's reliance on countries like the United States, but it would also position Beijing as a significant competitor in the global market.
According to the USCC study, the United States exported $1.62 billion worth of seeds in 2020, mostly vegetables, corn, soybeans, and grasses.
China alone purchased $173.9 million worth of foreign seeds in 2021, accounting for nearly 15% of total exports.
As part of his efforts to reduce China's dependency on foreign resources, Chinese President Xi Jinping has instructed the agriculture industry to enhance seed collection.
Spying has become a primary instrument for its agriculture industry, rather than putting resources toward development and research in indigenous seed breakthroughs.
According to the research, "acquiring US trade secrets through agricultural espionage has become a convenient option for China to boost its agricultural output and become more competitive in global markets." "Agricultural intellectual property theft could allow Chinese agribusinesses to undercut American competitors on worldwide seed markets."
However, there is an even more frightening threat to US food production that exists outside of the economic troubles Beijing could inflict on the US.A REPUBLICAN LAWMAKER IS PUSHING FOR LAW TO PREVENT CHINA FROM BUILDING AN 'AGRICULTURAL MONOPOLY' IN THE UNITED STATES.
By reducing the danger of drought, pests, and diseases, genetically altered seeds assist the agriculture business avoid the unpredictability that it faces every season.
Though genetically engineering a crop can save a farming season, the same technology can be used to target engineered crops.
"One flaw of genetically engineered seeds is their lack of genetic diversity. As a result, a virus or fungus designed to damage a genetically modified plant might wipe out an entire crop with no genetic variety to minimize losses," according to the paper.
Rep. Glenn Thompson, the ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee, told Fox News that "food security is national security" and that the USCC report proved that the US needed to adopt greater measures to protect intellectual property and the agriculture economy.
"Our producers go to tremendous efforts to ensure that the United States supplies the safest food supply possible," he said. "It's past time to strengthen our shattered supply chains and ensure that American producers have access to free and fair markets in order to mitigate the impact of the looming global food catastrophe," he said.
After the terrorist events of September 11, 2001, China expressed fear that bioterrorism could become a greater threat, and biosecurity became a top priority for the country.
Traditionally, China has been hesitant to import genetically modified animals and plants.
Beijing, meanwhile, has "increasingly realized the strategic advantages [of] genetically modified organisms," according to the research, and may be exploiting Western imports to advance its technology and gain worldwide agricultural domination.
Sen. John Boozman, the Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said Fox News, "The Chinese Communist Party plainly wants to displace our country's influence and leadership in every field, including agriculture." "We must not fall asleep at the switch and allow China to take advantage of the situation.""The Biden administration and Congress must make every effort to protect our food supply, the intellectual property and technology that make our agriculture industry the envy of the world, and our supply chains from vulnerabilities Beijing wishes to exploit to its benefit and the detriment of the United States," said Boozman.
According to the USCC, the intelligence community should begin collaborating with the US Department of Agriculture to promote and protect the US agriculture industry, as well as better protect it from foreign adversaries such as China.
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