China, Philippines team up to cultivate high-yield rice

Research aims for self-sufficiency in island country's basic food supply

A rice-breeding program undertaken by China and the Philippines, although not as widely publicized as big-ticket infrastructure projects, has become one of the most significant hallmarks of the two countries' cooperation.

China is a global pioneer in hybrid rice technology, which allows the country to feed its growing population even though it possesses only 7 percent of the world's arable land. It has promoted the technology elsewhere, including the Philippines.