China is not producing genetically modified staple food on a commercial scale, Agriculture Vice Minister Niu Dun told reporters on Monday at the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in Beijing.

Niu stressed that China has only so far approved the commercial production of genetically modified cotton and papaya, but not of meats, eggs, milk or seafood.

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Niu was reacting to a statement made by political adviser and broadcast journalist Cui Yongyuan, who said that "many genetically modified crops have entered our food chain."

Cui, a former talk show host of CCTV, had spent six months conducting independent surveys on GM crops across China, the United States and Japan for a video documentary that he uploaded online on March 1.

"According to our surveys over the past six months, GM crops, including GM corn and rice, are illegally grown on a large scale in some Chinese provinces, including Jilin, Guangxi, Hunan and Hubei," Cui said at the opening of the CPPCC, of which he was also a member.

To allay doubts, China will strictly implement a labeling provision that will require all genetically modified products to carry a GM logo, Niu said.

However, China will not disregard the importance of transgenic technology, Niu said, because ensuring sufficient grain supply is critical to national development and food security.

"We should draw a clear distinction between GM research and GM production. The genetically modified organism technology, an advanced technology that is valued greatly across the globe, should be taken seriously by us," Niu explained.

Genetically modified crops are known to be resistant to most diseases and pests.  In October, the Chinese Academy of Sciences urged the central government to promote the cultivation of genetically modified rice in order to ensure a sufficient supply of the country's staple food.