生物科技作為引領與推動二十一世紀經濟發展主要動力之一，影響力已從科技領域急速擴散至社會、政治、經濟與貿易等領域。近十年來，在「基因改造作物」進入全球市場後，已為各國帶來政治、經濟、社會各領域形成廣泛衝擊，並同時導致來自各種不同的社會群體、利益團體及不同國家之間的紛爭和全球性的影響，諸如貿易、生物安全、健康安全等問題。有鑑於此，中國作為一個世界農業大國及所擁有的廣大市場，政府對於基因作物的政策意向也無可避免成為全球矚目的焦點。因此，本文擬以基因改造作物的發展為例，探討主導中國農業發展的主要因素，並分析中國農業生物科技的發展策略與政策變遷。自開放改革以來，以發展為目標和以高科技為導向的支配性意識形態對中國的農業生物科技政策產生了重要影響。然在過去十年間，國家基於保護本國農業、維護糧食安全的政治考量，以及能得以持續在國際市場從事競爭的考慮，開始朝更為偏向預警立場的管制途徑，此使中國的農業生物科技政策歷經了一段深層的轉變。對此，本文主要在試圖分析影響政策變遷的種種主要因素，例如政策整合與經濟全球化，並說明這些因素如何對中國的農業生物科技發展產生重要且複雜的影響。

China's agribiotechnology policy has undergone a profound transformation in recent years, from an enthusiastic promoter of genetically modified (GM) crops towards greater precautionary principle approach. The Chinese leadership has begun to recognize the political nature of biotechnology and to redefine genetic engineering as an issue of regulation rather than scientific capacity. This shift corresponds with a parallel trend towards greater awareness for environmental issues and the rise of sustainable development as a guiding principle for the country's economic strategy. To explain the recent adoption of a more precautionary principle on agribiotechnology, and explore the driving forces behind the transformation in agribiotechnology policy and the salience of environmental issues on the political agenda, we need to analyze the wider environmental, economic and political issues that the introduction of GM crops has raised in China. Underlying these issues is a more fundamental concern about the state's ability to regulate agribiotechnology. In a sense, regulating agribiotechnology in China is about guarding the stage's central role within the economy and the legitimacy of the current regime as much as about trade, environment and public health issues. This task has been complicated by the economic globalization of China over the last two decades, which has allowed international norms and forces increasingly to shape domestic policy-making. Therefore, this paper tries to seek to shed light on the underlying trends and international-domestic linkages that have produced policy changes in China's agribiotechnology development.