China backs AI, gene editing to bolster its food security in a risky new era

China has published a blueprint for overhauling its vast agricultural sector over the next five years by harnessing an array of frontier technologies, as Beijing focuses on shoring up the nation’s food security in an era of rising geopolitical and climate volatility. In its plan for the 2026-2030 period, the State Council said it would significantly strengthen research and development in the agricultural sector, setting a target of raising the contribution of technological advances to farm...