Hainan's hybrid seeds sprout along Belt, Road

Island province 'will ensure' that Boao Forum continues to promote cooperation

The international exchanges and cooperative efforts prompted by the Boao Forum for Asia are turning Hainan province into the Silicon Valley of seeds for countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, according to a Hainan government official.

More hybrid rice seeds cultivated by Chinese scientists at the Nanfan Scientific and Research Breeding Base in Hainan are being introduced to ASEAN countries. The total combined area of hybrid rice cultivation in India, Vietnam, the Philippines, Pakistan and Indonesia - major rice-growing countries - has reached 4.28 million hectares, said Wang Sheng, director of the Foreign Affairs Office of Hainan province.