China is planning on building the world's largest animal cloning factory in Tianjin, which will churn out 1 million cloned cows a year, in addition to dogs, racehorses, and endangered species.

The project is being spearheaded by Chinese biotechnology firm Sinica, a subsidiary of Boyalife Group, which focuses on stem cell and regenerative medicine.

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"We are travelling the path no one has ever taken," said Boyalife CEO Xu Xiaochun in a conference call with journalists. "China has made the impression that we are followers or the copycats, but with cloning we will gradually become a global leader," he added, apparently missing the irony of launching a cloning center while eschewing the label of "copycat."

Xu said that the main purpose of the cloning center was to mass produce calves to satisfy China's increasing demand for quality beef. The first phase of the project will produce some 100,000 cattle each year beginning in 2016, Xu said.

South Korea-based research company Sooam Biotech, which has cloned 550 dogs over the past 10 years, is partnering with Sinica in the venture. Since last year, Sooam has been offering services that allow customers to clone their dearly departed pets for approximately $100,000.  Sooam is led by Scientist Hwang Woo-suk who produced "Snuppy," the world's first cloned dog. Sooam has already partnered with BoyaLife to commercially clone pure-blooded Tibetan mastiffs.

Xu said that the new facility in Tianjin will produce police dogs for tasks such as bomb detection and search and rescue. He said cloned animals were already used in China and Afghanistan as drug sniffing dogs.  

Animal cloning is legal in the U.S., but illegal in Europe, which voted to ban the practice of cloning farm animals in September.

The cloning plant will be built in the Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Area (TEDA), which business development park sponsored by the Chinese government.

With an investment of 200 million yuan ($31 million), the factory will be constructed by Sinica, Peking University's Institute of Molecular Medicine, the Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biomedicine, and the Republic of Korea's Sooam Biotech Research Foundation. It will be the largest facility of its kind in the world, and will also have a gene storage area and a museum.

TagsChina to Open World's Largest Animal Cloning Factory in Tianjin, world’s largest animal cloning factory, world’s largest cloning facility, Boyalife Group, Sinica, a subsidiary of, Xu Xiaochun, Sooam Biotech, cloned puppies, dolly