Given that glyphosate weed control is an effective strategy to reduce costs and improve economic outcomes of agricultural production in China, the development of glyphosate-resistant cotton holds great promise.  Using an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation method, a new G2-aroA gene that encodes 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) was transformed into cotton cultivar K312.  The transgenic cotton plants were regenerated from a callus tissue culture via kanamycin selection.  Ten regenerated cotton plants were obtained and allowed to flower normally to produce fruit.  The results from polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Southern and Western blot analyses indicated that the target gene was integrated into the cotton chromosome and was expressed effectively at the protein level.  The glyphosate tolerance analysis showed that the transgenic cotton had a high resistance to glyphosate.  Further, even cotton treated with 45.0 mmol L^–1 of glyphosate was able to slowly grow, bloom and seed.  The transgenic cotton may be used for cotton breeding research of glyphosate-tolerant cotton.

Given the public concern over the safety of genetically modified (GM) technology and products, the article elaborated the safety regulatory and administration on agricultural GMOs in China. China has made a set of laws and regulations of GMO safety management and confirmed competent authorities with clear-cut responsibilities. According to the laws and regulations, GMO products before entering markets have to pass through safety evaluation, get production and processing permission and be labeled correctly. For the importation of GM products, China has set up an import approval system. In addition, China has established technical supportive systems, including safety evaluation specifications, trial specifications and criteria specifications. The existing regulatory system supervises and regulates all activities and work related to agricultural GMOs in China.