Experts say China now has one of the strictest evaluation systems on genetically modified produce safety, which assesses both the production process and the final GM produce. 

According to agricultural authorities, except for GM cotton and papaya, China has prohibited all GM farm produce, including staple foods, from being grown commercially in the country.

And currently only five GM crops -- soybeans, corn, cotton, rapeseed, and beets -- have been approved for import. Last year, China imported over 81 million tons of soybeans.  The majority was GM, from Brazil and the US. 

GM products account for over 80 percent of the global soybean production. China's imports account for about 30 percent of the crop's global production.