China has introduced 1,351 advanced agricultural technologies from 40 countries and regions in the past eight years, supported by a special state program.

The project, dubbed "948", also introduced 18,000 botanical species into China, according to a report by the Ministry of Agriculture.

As the first and the only special project at the state level involved in introduction of advanced overseas agricultural technologies, the project was planned in 1994 and put into operation in 1996. So far, the central government has invested 770 million yuan (US$90 million) in the project.

According to the report, the completion of the project has helped bridge the gap between China and advanced countries. In the past, China concentrated its major efforts in grain research and lagged behind in other sectors.

(Xinhua News Agency September 4, 2003)