上海龙凤419

Jufeng town, Lanshan district, Rizhao city, stands as one of the main tea-producing areas in north China. Surrounded by mountains on three sides and bordered by the sea on the fourth, the area is higher in the north and lower in the south, featuring soil with a slightly acidic nature. Such unique geographical conditions and microclimate nurture Jufeng green tea with strong fragrance and flavor, earning the area the title of "hometown of green tea in the north of the Yangtze River." Over the years, the traditional tea planting and processing methods in Rizhao city have given rise to poor yields, low prices, and subpar taste. In light of this, Rizhao Power Supply Company has been guiding tea factories and farmers in adopting electric processing and irrigation for tea, providing high-quality and reliable services throughout. These efforts have enabled Jufeng, a remote and secluded town, to keep pace with the modern advanced approaches to tea production. The transition from fuel-powered and wood-fired methods to electrified planting, irrigation, and processing marks a successful evolution in Rizhao green tea since its introduction from the south to the north half a century ago.

The power supply company always cares about tea yields and farmers' income

On March 11, like the beginning of spring each year, before the tea stir-drying machines hum and the tea irrigation reaches its peak, employees from the Jufeng Power Supply Station of Rizhao Power Supply Company visited the tea gardens in Houshanwang village and the Baiman Tea Factory in Houyaxia village. They offered on-site and value-added services to local tea farmers and factories, such as overhauling the irrigation and electric equipment, so as to secure a safe and uninterrupted power supply for irrigation and tea production.

"You couldn't have come at a better time. The favorable soil moisture conditions last winter and this spring went fast as the temperatures rose rapidly with an increasing evaporation rate since March. We were concerned about whether our irrigation equipment, which had been idle for almost half a year, would function properly. Fortunately, thanks to your proactive overhaul, we can ensure smooth irrigation of the tea gardens to improve soil moisture," said Zhang Chenghong, Party Branch Secretary of Houshanwang village, who was busy preparing for irrigation in the tea garden. "As the saying goes, tea picked early is as valuable as treasure, while tea picked late is as worthless as grass. The power station staff's assistance enabled timely irrigation for over 400 mu of tea and early picking in our village." A nearby tea farmer said humorously, "The old saying always emphasizes 'effort and luck,' but I believe it should now be 'effort and electricity.' With the help of the power supply station, our tea won't go thirsty. When our spring tea hits the market first, it will surely fetch a good price." His words elicited laughter from those present.

"This year's spring tea is expected to enter the picking season soon. From mid to late April is the golden period for harvesting, during which the dryer, roller, and tea strip-tidying machines will operate at full throttle all day, consuming several times more electricity than usual," said Song Baiman, Director of Baiman Tea Factory and Leading Science Popularizer in Shandong Province, addressing the power station staff. "In the past, as laymen, we repair equipment ourselves, simply by dusting the body or tightening the screws. Consequently, various issues inevitably arose during the peak production of spring tea. Now, with your professional on-site services, such as checking and repairing all power-driven equipment and addressing overheating joints in the circuits, as well as the power line upgrade last year, we don't have to worry about the production and profitability this year."

Clean electric irrigation has significantly increased tea planting area and quality

Tea planting is the foundation for producing high-quality tea. Due to the low temperatures and precipitation levels, tea grown in the north of the Yangtze River develops a strong and enduring flavor but yields poorly. The key to achieving high yields lies in water.

"In the past, we relied on water conservancy facilities built in the 1960s and 1970s for irrigation, most of which had fallen into disrepair. Subsequently, diesel engines were employed, resulting in high costs, heavy pollution, and limited irrigated areas. However, the power supply station took the initiative by extending 10-kilovolt high-voltage lines directly to the fields and installing a transformer for irrigation purposes near the reservoir. This enables us to benefit from national electricity subsidies for agricultural irrigation. As we collectively invested in improving the sprinkler irrigation facilities in our village, with just a twist of the switch, over 500 mu of tea garden can be irritated," said Zhang Shouzan, Party Branch Secretary of Qianshan Beitou village, Jufeng town, on March 15.

Rows of sprinklers stand amid the tea gardens, yet not a single telegraph pole or transmission line is in sight. Li Zhaochun, director of the Jufeng Power Supply Station, said all power lines within the tea gardens are buried underground, saving space and minimizing the impact on tea planting and picking.

Zhang Shouzan elaborated on the advantages of sprinkler irrigation. For example, tea shoots have become fleshier, leading to an increase in the proportion of high-quality shoots, and in the production of fresh tea leaves by 15-25%. Additionally, there has been a notable rise in the content of key biochemical components such as amino nitrogen and catechin. Moreover, sprinkler irrigation can significantly save water consumption while reducing soil compaction rates, raising the average tea revenue to 20,000 yuan ($2,779) per mu.

With the scale and yield of tea planting on the rise, a common concern among people is whether tea farmers will resort to heavy pesticide usage during pest control.

"As tea leaves are directly brewed and drunk by people, the method for repelling or killing insects has evolved to an electric approach in our tea gardens. There is no need to worry about pesticide residues," said Zhang Shouzan.

Electric tea stir-drying secures Rizhao's leading role in green tea in north China

Those well-versed in tea understand that high-quality fresh tea leaves do not necessarily guarantee the production of excellent tea. Electrified tea stir-drying plays a crucial role in winning market share and acclaim.

Bojiakou village is famous for its specialized tea stir-drying in Rizhao city. Yuyuanchun Tea Factory, with over 30 years of history, is nestled in this village. Factory Director Yuan Congbo led workers in installing a newly purchased microwave tea fixation machine. According to him, before 2012, tea processing in Rizhao primarily adhered to craft production, involving manual tea tedding, fixation, and packaging, and heating and drying mostly relied on fuel and firewood. This labor-intensive method led to higher distortion in taste and color, lower tea quality, limited production capacity, and uncompetitive price. With the improvement in the power grid's capacity, an increasing number of tea farmers have purchased electric equipment for tea fixation, rolling, and drying. Yuan has successively acquired the tedder, fixation machine, electric stove, pressing machine, and packaging machine to electrify tea production, significantly enhancing both capacity and efficiency.

Yuan explained that electrified stir-drying makes it easier to control the duration and degree of heating, thereby preserving tea's natural color and flavor. Additionally, tea leaves have a strong ability to absorb odors, and the colorless and odorless electricity doesn't produce the smoke and pollution caused by coal, fuel, and firewood. The hygienic and clean electricity, paired with stainless steel equipment casings, maximizes the retention of the tea's original flavor.

Maintaining tea freshness is crucial, as tea leaves are vulnerable to oxidation which changes their taste. Thanks to a robust power grid, many tea stir-drying farmers have built cold storage warehouses to preserve the tea leaves before they are sold.

Today, Rizhao's tea enterprises have emerged as pioneers of the tea industry in north China, establishing the benchmark for tea production and processing in the region.

Electricity has changed the lifestyle of villagers

In the past, due to poverty, farmers in Jufeng town sought jobs in other places. However, with the improvements in electricity and transportation infrastructure in rural areas, an increasing number of villagers are choosing to operate tea gardens, and more tea factories are settling in the village from other regions. A medium-sized tea factory typically requires 20 to 30 workers during regular times, and 50 to 60 workers during harvest seasons. As a result, farmers in Jufeng have stopped migrating, and many farmers from surrounding towns have come to seek jobs in Jufeng. During the tea harvesting season, some tea gardens even experience labor shortages.

"Electricity has enabled the industrialization of tea planting and stir-drying, and large-scale tea production to meet market demand. Currently, apart from vegetable gardens, tea gardens occupy most of our village's land. Although the income from tea planting is not significantly higher compared to working elsewhere, it allows villagers to stay at home and avoid the hardships of being away," said Liu Weiming, a villager from Liujia village in Jufeng town.

The development of the tea industry has attracted nearby villagers to earn money through picking tea. "I have an eight-mu tea garden. During busy times, in addition to my family of two, we also need to hire four to five people," added Liu.

Tea farmers are more motivated to plant and pick tea with more convenient tea planting methods, assured yields, quality, and prices, and improved services such as power supply. Villagers no longer need to migrate and can dedicate themselves to operating their tea gardens.

"Supporting the tea industry not only relates to the overall economic development of the town but also signifies a political commitment. With tea gardens in every household, we have essentially addressed issues like empty-nest elders and left-behind children in our town, thereby increasing the happiness of our villagers," remarked Wang Dongliang, Party Secretary of the CPC Jufeng Town Committee.

Electricity has changed the green tea planting and processing methods in Rizhao, as well as the lives and fortunes of tea farmers. Leveraging electricity, the variety, quality, and brand of Rizhao green tea have improved, leading to development, expansion, and extension of the tea industry.

As the 7th China International Import Expo (CIIE) heats up, a number of international enterprises, especially French companies, have begun to seize the opportunity to zoom into the huge Chinese consumption market, as France has been invited to be a guest of honor country of the 2024 CIIE, the world's first national-level import-themed expo.

According to a report by the Xinhua News Agency on Tuesday, the 7th CIIE has an exhibition area of more than 240,000 square meters, progressing faster than the same period last year, and nearly 200 of the world's top 500 companies and industry leaders have signed up.

Wu Zhengping, deputy director-general of the CIIE Bureau and vice-president of the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), the CIIE venue, said that preparations for the fair are in full swing and progressing steadily. 

The global exhibition roadshow has also been launched, and enterprises and organizations from all over the world have actively signed up for the event, casting a "vote of confidence." 

With the gradual progress of the preparations, many of the "old friends" that had participated in previous sessions as well as new participants have begun to ramp up efforts to explore more opportunities in the world's second-largest consumer market.

Christophe Bristiel, owner of Château La Nerthe, a French chateau, recently traveled to Shanghai in advance to participate in the promotional activities for the CIIE, aiming to make his products shine at the fair.

The CIIE has become an excellent platform for French companies to show their unique charms to China and the world, and we hope to continuously push more high-quality specialty products into the Chinese market, Bristiel noted.

On the first day of March, a hair show was held by L'Oreal PRO, with 60 top stylists in the industry presenting their own aesthetic creations. Outside of the show, many new products that will be exhibited during this year's CIIE, including hair dryer and vaporizer models, provided an immersive experience for the guests on the spot.

Lan Zhenzhen, chief corporate affairs and engagement officer of L'Oreal North Asia and China, said that for the 7th CIIE, L'Oreal is not only gearing up to present more new items, but is also bringing in more ecosystem partners, enterprises, concepts and systems to make the fair "more open," "more innovative" and "greener."

"This year's fair is expected to welcome more international companies, as they have seen the endless opportunities presented through previous fairs," Cong Yi, a professor at the Tianjin University of Finance and Economics, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

The sixth CIIE saw a total of $78.41 billion worth of tentative deals reached for single-year purchases of goods and services, a record high. The figure represented an increase of 6.7 percent from the previous session.

The unparalleled amount of contracts signed and the great enthusiasm of international exhibitors demonstrate that the CIIE is a strong propeller for global economic growth. The organization of the fair also reaffirms China's determination for high-level opening-up and its willingness to share the dividends of its economic development with the world, Cong noted.

The 2024 Government Work Report noted that the country will work to steadily increase the volume and raise the quality of foreign trade. Major trade events will be hosted, such as the CIIE, the China Import and Export Fair, the China International Fair for Trade in Services, and the Global Digital Trade Expo, read the report on the work of the government.

China should lift some institutional obstacles to further optimize the investment environment for the country's private business sector in a bid to stimulate the market vitality for investment, while ensuring domestic firms to feel safe with places and funds to invest, a political advisor told the Global Times during the annual two sessions.
Yin Yanlin, deputy director of the General Office of the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission and a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, outlined three detailed measures including to clarify positive and negative lists for investment in the private sector and lift barriers that restrict private enterprises to participate into market activities, aiming to further spur the country's private investment.

In addition, he suggested expanding investment space for private enterprises by effectively breaking down the invisible barriers that hinder the investment entry. For instance, he noted to leave public welfare projects with certain revenue to the private business market, and expand the trial range for Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs） to private-owned companies, hotel and tourism projects.

Yin also suggested further improving financing channels for private enterprises to ensure they have sufficient funds, and treating private business fairly by actually meeting demand. He urged responsible departments to take full advantages of the special fund earmarked in the central government's budget for investment in 2024, in a bid to encourage, support and guide private business investment.

China's private investment volume fell by 0.4 percent year-on-year in 2023, and the rare situation was caused by an investment decline in the real estate sector, Yin said. He noted that the investment drop was also related to the lack of market confidence, relatively few numbers of high-quality investment projects and strict financing assessment.

"China's investment in private business sector is the major force of nation's investment demand, which accounts for 50 percent of general infrastructure," said Yin.

Aiming to optimizing China's real estate sector, responsible authorities have quickly implemented policy adjustments, with multiple major indicators such as the investment targeting the real estate development and sales of commercial properties seeing marginal improvement, he said.

"Policies that are no longer in line with the current situation should be adjusted as soon as possible. The exploration of a new model for the development of the real estate sector should be used as an opportunity to establish a sound, market regulation-oriented mechanism for stabilizing expectations," Yin said in the interview, noting that the country's housing market will be on a stable and healthy development track with new real estate policy adjustments in place.

At the Government Work Report released on Tuesday, China has set its 2024 GDP growth target at around 5 percent. Yin said that the 5-percent growth rate will make China one of fastest growing economies in the world, as most developed countries have a growth below 3 percent. A 5-percent GDP target could only be achieved by a developing nation as large as China.

China's 5-percent GDP growth this year also will draw in more foreign investments, as only when Chinese economy expands can the foreign firms have the conditions to make a profit, and only when they make a profit can they continue investing, thus engaging in a "virtuous circle," Yin stressed.

During the interview, Yin also pushed against certain allegations that the Chinese economy has peaked. "The outside world may have no idea of how much endeavors the Chinese policymakers are willing to pour in achieving the GDP goal," Yin noted.

Editor's Note:
This week, China kicked off the two sessions, one of the most important political gatherings annually. The event offers an important window for the outside world to understand China's development, and where the world's second-largest economy is headed and top policy priorities in 2024. 

What are the world's general expectations of the two sessions? And how do foreign economists and think tanks view China's growth potential? Recently, Global Times reporter Li Xuanmin (GT) conducted an interview with Helga Zepp-LaRouche (HZL), founder of Germany-based political and economic think tank the Schiller Institute.

GT: China is holding the annual two sessions this week. What are your expectations for the meeting? 
HZL: I expect that it will address strategic challenges that pose barriers to global development, based on China's vision to build a global community with shared future. Of special interest for me will also be to learn what the idea of building "new quality productive forces" will actually mean, since the Chinese economy is already the locomotive of the world economy. 

Mankind is clearly at a branching point. Since geopolitics is the curse of history, I am hopeful that China's two sessions will show a pathway for the world, and help the world understand how to overcome the mistaken view that a country or a group of countries must defend its interests against another group by all means. It is quite possible for China to establish a new paradigm, where the interests of all can be taken care of. That is a new system, which allows for the development of all.

GT: What is the significance of the political gathering amid rising global headwinds? And from your perspective, what role will China and the Chinese economy play in the world this year?
HZL: Chinese foreign policy has proven to be an anchor of stability. The biggest danger now is the two regional conflicts: the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Israel-Palestine conflict. And China has made comprehensive diplomatic proposals for both crises, showing the path to a peaceful solution. 

The extension of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) could play a decisive role in reconstruction for the countries involved in conflict in the context of a regional development perspective. The Schiller Institute has also proposed a concrete economic development plan, the Oasis plan, which could bring peace for all countries involved.

GT: From your perspective, what will be the focal points of China's economic work this year? What are your estimates for key economic figures that will be set during the two sessions?
HZL: The economic work focus this year will be on boosting high technology, high efficiency and high quality of production. Given the high number of scientists and engineers China has, and the addition of around 11 million university graduates per year, the transformation of basic scientific and technological breakthroughs into real production in the Chinese economy will be very significant. 

GT: What role do you expect the Chinese economy to play in the world this year, amid the complex geopolitical situation? 
HZL: There have been increasing tendencies of decoupling and "de-risking," which really amount to the same thing. When the EU is preparing tax barriers against Chinese imports, they are further isolating themselves to their own detriment. I expect China to be a strong advocate for multilateralism, and to build cooperation with the Global South, where there have been tremendous efforts in transforming from exports of raw materials toward economic models based on the value chain. 

Also, naturally the BRICS-Plus - of which China is a founding member - will gain increasing importance this year, and include new credit mechanisms that promote development for all participants. 

GT: The BRI is also high on the agenda of the two sessions. From your perspective, how will China chart a new BRI blueprint in the 11th year of its development?
HZL: Since the development requirements of the Global South are gigantic, in the next decade, the China-proposed BRI offers plenty of opportunities for all nations to work together for their mutual benefit. And if all countries can bear in mind such a perspective, the next decade of the BRI can unleash the creative potential of billions of people.

In terms of European countries, especially Germany and France, they are experiencing a dramatic economic slowdown. So hopefully there will be a greater openness to respond to what the BRI has to offer.

China has established a basic independent industry chain for superconducting quantum computers, and it's one of the very few countries that can independently produce quantum computers, which are believed to be critical for future development, a leading Chinese scientist told the Global Times.

However, as the global race for quantum computing continues to heat up and the US continues to crack down on China's technological rise, "greater efforts are needed to make breakthroughs in key areas that are facing technological blockades by the West," said Guo Guoping, a deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, and deputy director of the Key Laboratory of Quantum Information of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Chinese scientists unveiled a third-generation superconducting quantum computer known as Origin Wukong developed by Origin Quantum in January. It was based on China's first quantum chip production line, first quantum computer operating system, and first quantum computing measurement and control system. It also marked China's first realization of automated batch testing of quantum chips.

The delivery of that computer made China the third country in the world with the ability to deliver a complete quantum computer, cementing the country's leading position in quantum computing research after achieving quantum superiority, Guo said.

Guo is also the chief scientist of Origin Quantum Computing Technology Co, a leading quantum tech company based in East China's Anhui Province. The company said that its Origin Wukong quantum computer became operational and was opened to global users on January 6. 

As a Chinese scientist in developing quantum technologies, Guo and his team have been engaged in research for 21 years. He told the Global Times that Origin Wukong had completed 160,000 quantum computing tasks for global users as of February 26. 

The number of times it was accessed remotely from more than 104 countries around the world exceeded 2 million. 

Among them, the number by overseas users from the US, Canada, and Russia ranked top three respectively.

In the global arena, the US and China are considered the leaders in the field, and many experts believe that the US still holds an edge, Reuters reported.

Some Western media reports said that China has taken a clear lead in the area of quantum communication, but in terms of developing photonic qubits and error-corrected quantum computers, the US still holds an edge.

Competition in the global quantum computing market is fierce. Meanwhile, there is a gap between China and the West in the industrial application of quantum computing. US-based IBM has made significant strides with dozens of superconducting quantum computers deployed around the world.

China still needs long-term accumulation in the industrial application of quantum computing and Guo emphasized the need for state-level support policies and more investment to ensure that research is turned into applications.

"Developing and expanding China's own manufacturing chains for quantum computing devices is my key focus for this year's two sessions," Guo said, adding that the field of quantum computing has become the main battlefield for China's future strategic competition.

According to his proposal shared with the Global Times, Guo urged to promote the deep integration of quantum computing and related industries as well as accelerate the iterative development of the industry in China.

He proposed accelerating the improvement of China's quantum computing power in order to develop new productive forces.

"It is crucial to apply domestically developed superconducting quantum computers in various industrial sectors to support high-quality development in China by improving production efficiency and boosting innovation," he said. 

Guo said that the development of quantum computers had entered a new stage where foreign institutions and companies were putting great effort into engineering and industrial applications, in addition to research. It's urgent to fill the gap between domestic research and development and its applications.

Guo has made several proposals, such as urging to carry out medium- and long-term strategic planning to promote the industry's growth by boosting investment and nurturing talent.

There should be special projects to support the development of original and leading research. 

Governments and enterprises should jointly tackle key problems to put quantum computers into use as fast as possible, he said, and several industry clusters should be set up in the areas including biomedicine, aerospace, new materials, finance and artificial intelligence.

Political advisors will continue to put forth suggestions and strategies to promote and enlarge employment, a spokesperson for the Second Session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) said on Sunday, addressing a matter of great importance.

The National Committee of the CPPCC will conduct a wide range of work including the betterment of the support system for the employment of college graduates, conduct more studies on job market stability, and improve and optimize a lifelong vocational training system in 2024, said Liu Jieyi, spokesperson for the second session of the 14th National Committee of the CPPCC, at a press conference.

The top political advisory body will also hold broad consultations to address structural issues affecting employment to help implement the employment-first strategy mapped out by the central government, Liu said.

In 2023, local governments at all levels spent more than 300 billion yuan ($42.21 billion) worth of direct funding to support job creation and entrepreneurship. New urban jobs created in 2023 stood at 12.44 million amid support measures aimed at helping college graduates land jobs and employment incentives for people in need both in urban and rural areas.

The hard-won achievement has laid a solid foundation for the further strengthening of the positive momentum of the job market, according to Liu.

In 2023, political advisors submitted 91 proposals ranging from broadening employment channels for college graduates to enhancing employment flexibility to ways to better leverage the digital economy to address the difficulties faced by college graduates seeking jobs and companies looking for workers, said Liu.

For the acute shortages in finding enough seasoned technicians, political advisors held designated seminars to discuss fostering of an incentive system for innovation-oriented industrial workers. Many of the proposals were translated into government actions.

Liu Yonghao, a member of the CPPCC National Committee and chairman of New Hope Group, suggested that China should cultivate more talent with more incentives and support measures to promote rural revitalization and the building of a robust agricultural industry.

The second session of the 14th National Committee of the CPPCC will begin on Monday.

The cumulative number of China-Europe freight trains has exceeded 85,000, and it has opened a new bridge for economic and trade cooperation for Eurasian continent, Mao Ning, spokesperson of Chinese Foreign Ministry, said on Thursday. 

The routes of the freight trains have grown from scratch, and the transportation capacity has grown "from small to large," and it has opened a new bridge for economic and trade cooperation for Eurasian continent, Mao said. 

In the past decade, the customs clearance and inspection along the China-Europe freight trains have become more convenient, the business environment at ports has continued to be optimized, and international transportation regulations have become more standardized, Mao said. 

Relying on the freight train service, China has achieved closer cooperation with Central Asia and Europe, and its economy and trade have become more prosperous. A large number of companies of international trade, intelligent manufacturing and supply chain have taken root in areas along the route, and industries such as manufacturing, commerce, finance and information are continuously being upgraded, making products welcomed in China and European countries, Mao said.

China-Europe freight trains will continue to operate at full capacity, injecting new impetus into the development of the Eurasian continent, Mao said. 

CCTV.com reported that, since 2024, more than 2,600 China-Europe freight trains have been completed, a year-on-year increase of 5.3 percent, and more than 1,000 trains have been operated in a single month for 46 consecutive months.

At present, China-Europe trains have reached 25 countries in Europe, and the number of connected cities has increased from 217 in 2023 to 219.

China's Foreign Ministry urged the US to stop slandering and smearing China on data security, and maintain an open, fair and non-discriminatory business environment, spokesperson Mao Ning told a press conference on Thursday.

Mao's remarks came after the Biden administration on Wednesday unveiled an executive order barring genomic data transfers to China, Reuters reported, claiming that the US is seeking to protect American personal data over so-called national security concerns.

The order will curb bulk transfers of Americans' geo-location, biometric, health and financial information to specific "countries of concern." 

This is the first time the US has taken such measures, and the US executive order is also seen as the latest escalation of the "digital cold war" between the two countries.

In response, Mao noted that the US has generalized the concept of national security by falsely claiming that China is purchasing sensitive data of US citizens and engaging in malicious activities. "Banning the flow of data to the so-called countries of concern, including China, is a discriminatory practice clearly targeting a specific country, which China firmly opposes," she said.

The Chinese government has always placed great importance on the protection of data privacy and security, and has never, and will never, ask its enterprises or individuals to collect or provide data information and intelligence located in foreign countries for the Chinese government in a manner that violates local laws, Mao said.

China has taken the lead in proposing a global data security initiative, and if the US is truly concerned about data security, it could publicly support China's initiative or make a similar commitment, she noted.

"We asked the US to stop slandering and smearing China, effectively maintain an open, fair and non-discriminatory business environment and work with all parties to formulate universal data security rules, in order to promote the orderly and free flow of global data," said Mao.

Sci-fi novels and films like Gattaca no longer have a monopoly on genetically engineered humans. Real research scripts about editing the human genome are now appearing in scientific and medical journals. But the reviews are mixed.

In Gattaca, nearly everyone was genetically altered, their DNA adjusted to prevent disease, enhance intelligence and make them look good. Today, only people treated with gene therapy have genetically engineered DNA. But powerful new gene editing tools could expand the scope of DNA alteration, forever changing humans’ genetic destiny.

Not everyone thinks scientists should wield that power. Kindling the debate is a report by scientists from Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China, who have edited a gene in fertilized human eggs, called zygotes. The team used new gene editing technology known as the CRISPR/Cas9 system. That technology can precisely snip out a disease-causing mutation and replace it with healthy DNA. CRISPR/Cas9 has edited DNA in stem cells and cancer cells in humans. Researchers have also deployed the molecules to engineer other animals, including mice and monkeys (SN Online: 3/31/14; SN: 3/8/14, p. 7). But it had never before been used to alter human embryos.
The team’s results, reported April 18 in Protein & Cell, sparked a flurry of headlines because their experiment modified human germline tissue (SN Online: 4/23/15). While most people think it is all right to fix faulty genes in mature body, or somatic, cells, tinkering with the germ line — eggs, sperm or tissues that produce those reproductive cells — crosses an ethical line for many. Germline changes can be passed on to future generations, and critics worry that allowing genetic engineering to correct diseases in germline tissues could pave the way for creating designer babies or other abuses that will persist forever.

“How do you draw a clear, meaningful line between therapy and enhancement?” ponders Marcy Darnovsky, executive director of the Center for Genetics and Society in Berkeley, Calif. About 40 countries ban or restrict such inherited DNA modifications.

Rumors about human germline editing experiments prompted scientists to gather in January in Napa, Calif. Discussions there led two groups to publish recommendations. One group, reporting March 26 in Nature, called for scientists to “agree not to modify the DNA of human reproductive cells,” including the nonviable zygotes used in the Chinese study. A second group, writing in Science April 3, called for a moratorium on the clinical use of human germline engineering, but stopped short of saying the technology shouldn’t be used in research. Those researchers say that while CRISPR technology is still too primitive for safe use in patients, further research is needed to improve it. But those publishing in Nature disagreed.

“Are there ever any therapeutic uses that would demand … modification of the human germ line? We don’t think there are any,” says Edward Lanphier, president of Sangamo BioSciences in Richmond, Calif. “Modifying the germ line is crossing the line that most countries on our planet have said is never appropriate to cross.”

If germline editing is never going to be allowed, there is no reason to conduct research using human embryos or reproductive cells, he says. Sangamo BioSciences is developing gene editing tools for use in somatic cells, an approach that germline editing might render unneeded. Lanphier denies that financial interests play a role in his objection to germline editing.

Other researchers, including Harvard University geneticist George Church, think germline editing may well be the only solution for some people with rare, inherited diseases. “What people want is safety and efficacy,” says Church. “If you ban experiments aimed at improving safety and efficacy, we’ll never get there.”

The zygote experiments certainly demonstrate that CRISPR technology is not ready for daily use yet. The researchers attempted to edit the beta globin, or HBB, gene. Mutations in that gene cause the inherited blood disorder beta-thalassemia. CRISPR/Cas9 molecules were engineered to seek out HBB and cut it where a piece of single-stranded DNA could heal the breach, creating a copy of the gene without mutations. That strategy succeeded in only four of the 86 embryos that the researchers attempted to edit. Those edited embryos contained a mix of cells, some with the gene edited and some without.

In an additional seven embryos, the HBB gene cut was repaired using the nearby HBD gene instead of the single-stranded DNA. The researchers also found that the molecular scissors snipped other genes that the researchers never intended to touch.

“Taken together, our work highlights the pressing need to further improve the fidelity and specificity of the CRISPR/Cas9 platform, a prerequisite for any clinical applications,” the researchers wrote.

The Chinese researchers crossed no ethical lines, Church contends. “They tried to dot i’s and cross t’s on the ethical questions.” The zygotes could not develop into a person, for instance: They had three sets of chromosomes, having been fertilized by two sperm in lab dishes.

Viable or not, germline cells should be off limits, says Darnovsky. She opposes all types of human germline modification, including a procedure approved in the United Kingdom in February for preventing mitochondrial diseases. The U.K. prohibits all other germline editing.

Mitochondria, the power plants that churn out energy in a cell, each carry a circle of DNA containing genes necessary for the organelle’s function. Mothers pass mitochondria on to their offspring through the egg. About one in 5,000 babies worldwide are born with mitochondrial DNA mutations that cause disease, particularly in energy-greedy organs such as the muscles, heart and brain.

Such diseases could be circumvented with a germline editing method known as mitochondrial replacement therapy (SN: 11/17/12, p. 5). In a procedure pioneered by scientists at Oregon Health & Science University, researchers first pluck the nucleus, where the bulk of genetic instructions for making a person are stored, out of the egg of a woman who carries mutant mitochondria. That nucleus is then inserted into a donor egg containing healthy mitochondria. The transfer would produce a person with three parents; most of their genes inherited from the mother and father, with mitochondrial DNA from the anonymous donor. The first babies produced through that technology could be born in the U.K. next year.

Yet another new gene-editing technique could eliminate the need to use donor eggs by specifically destroying only disease-carrying mitochondria, researchers from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, Calif., reported April 23 in Cell (SN Online: 4/23/15).

Such unproven technologies shouldn’t be attempted when alternatives already exist, Darnovsky says, such as screening embryos created through in vitro fertilization and discarding those likely to develop the disease.

But banning genome-altering technology could leave people with genetic diseases, and society in general, in the lurch, says molecular biologist Matthew Porteus of Stanford University.

“There is no benefit in my mind of having a child born with a devastating genetic disease,” he says.

Alternatives to germline editing come with their own ethical quandaries, he says. Gene testing of embryos may require creating a dozen or more embryos before finding one that doesn’t carry the disease. The rest of the embryos would be destroyed. Many people find that prospect ethically questionable.

But that doesn’t argue for sliding into Gattaca territory, where genetic modification becomes mandatory. “If we get there,” says Porteus, “we’ve really screwed up.”