BEIJING - China has given safety approvals to both imported and domestically developed genetically modified (GMO) crop varieties, the agriculture ministry said on Friday.

The crops include several products that have been waiting for Chinese approval for years, including two Bayer glyphosate-resistant alfalfa varieties.

They also include a Brazil-developed GMO sugar cane and BASF herbicide resistant cotton.

The certificates are effective from Jan. 5, 2023 to Jan. 4, 2028.

(Reporting by Beijing Newsroom and Dominique Patton Editing by Mark Potter)