Liao Xiyuan, center, speaks at a press conference held by the Ministry of Agriculture on April 13, 2016, in Beijing. [Photo: Xinhua]

China's agriculture authority plans to promote commercial cultivation of genetically modified corn and GM cotton over the next five years.

Liao Xiyuan, an official with the Ministry of Agriculture made the announcement at a news conference on Wednesday.

Liao has also defended China's strategy to develop its own GM technologies by saying that the country cannot afford to be left behind in the GM sector.

He added that there is no single case of scientifically proven safety hazard related to GM products in the past 20 years.

China now approves only the production of GM cotton and papaya. However, it is a major importer of GM farm produce such as soybean.