China warns of growing foreign espionage in seed, grain sector

BEIJING — China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) on Monday warned that foreign intelligence agencies are stepping up efforts to “illegally obtain” genetic data and seed resources from the country’s grain sector, calling the activity a threat to national food security.

“In recent years, foreign intelligence agencies have intensified their infiltration into China’s grain sector, illegally obtaining genetic data from crops such as soybeans, corn, and rice, posing a serious threat to the country’s food security,” the ministry said in a statement published on its official WeChat account.

“Beijing has long considered its food security to be a national security issue — similar to the way in which energy security has long been framed through a national security lens in Washington,” said Even Rogers Pay, a director at Beijing-based Trivium China. “Posts like these from MSS are aimed to create suspicion in the public and encourage them to view foreign interest in ag and food with a skeptical eye.”

The ministry cited a case in which a Chinese businessperson, surnamed Zhu, sold restricted “parental seeds” — first-generation seeds used in hybridization experiments that are not allowed to be exported — to a foreign entity under a “joint seed cooperation” scheme. The ministry said Zhu hid the seeds in containers that were declared for other exports.

Zhu was sentenced to a year and a half in prison, while 17 others involved received administrative penalties.

In another incident, foreign consular staff and experts from “a certain country” reportedly conducted unauthorized field surveys in a major agricultural province, collecting data on crop yields and reserves.

They allegedly used counter-surveillance tactics, such as switching vehicles frequently and traveling on rural backroads to avoid detection. The ministry said it took action in both cases and urged the public to report any suspicious activity through official hotlines or online channels. — Reuters