The State Development and Reform Commission approved three cities as national biological production bases, namely Shijiazhuang, Shenzhen and Changchun.

Experts said the biological industry is China's fastest growing industry only after the information industry, including breakthroughs in gene, protein engineering and cloning fields. Biological technology is important in protecting human health and improving agricultural benefits.

In recent years, China has arranged nearly four billion yuan and attracted non-government investment of 40 billion yuan in some 400 biological technological projects.

(Xinhua News Agency October 13, 2005)