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World's Largest Animal Cloning Center To Start Operations In China

By Peter R | Update Date: Dec 02, 2015 01:34 PM EST

World's largest cloning factory in China is set to begin operations next year with production of 100,000 cattle embryos for beef next year.

CBS News reports that the center is a joint venture between Chinese and South Korean firms, Boyalife and Soonam Biotech. The center is slated to address China's growing beef demands by eventually producing one million cattle embryos a year.

"With an investment of 200 million yuan (31 million US dollars), the center will be jointly built 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," a Boyalife press release reads.

Xu Xiaochun, chairman of Boyalife, said that the center will also clone mice, racehorses and sniffer dogs.

The news of center's operations drew sharp reactions as people took to social media express reservations over eating meat of cloned animals. US FDA ruled in 2008 that meat from cloned animals is safe for consumption.

Xu also grabbed headlines by stating that his company has the technology to clone humans but is holding back, apprehending backlash.

"The technology is already there. If this is allowed, I don't think there are other companies better than Boyalife that make better technology," Xu said according to Live Mint.

Cloning remains fraught with controversy and eating genetically modified food or cloned meat is debated subject in most countries. The European Parliament banned cloning of farm animals earlier this year, according to CBS.

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