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Why China is Stealing America's Corn Seeds
CNN Money ^ | 7-3-14 | Charles Riley

Posted on 07/03/2014 8:47:07 AM PDT by afraidfortherepublic

Three years ago, a security guard working for seed company Pioneer Hi-Bred came across something unusual on a road in Iowa: Just off the pavement, a man was on his knees, digging in a field.

Challenged by the guard, Mo Hailong claimed to be an employee of the University of Iowa who was traveling to a nearby conference. He jumped back in his car and sped away.

U.S. authorities would later accuse Hailong, and five other Chinese nationals, of stealing corn seeds and attempting to smuggle them back to China.

A seventh defendant, Mo Yun, was arrested and charged Wednesday with stealing trade secrets for her husband's seed company -- the Beijing Dabeinong Technology Group Company.

The details of the case, laid out by prosecutors, underscore the difficulty of safeguarding U.S. intellectual property, and the determination of some foreign rivals to acquire technology by illicit means.

For six years, the Chinese nationals hopscotched across rural Iowa and Illinois, stealing valuable inbred corn seed from Pioneer, Monsanto (MON) and LG Seeds, prosecutors said in an updated indictment. The group rented storage facilities, bought their own testing field and concocted elaborate cover stories.

"These are actually very serious offenses," one of the accused said during a recorded conversation reproduced in the indictment. "They could treat us as spies," his colleague replied.

Three members of the group tried to smuggle the stolen goods out of the U.S. in 2012, concealing hundreds of seeds in Orville Redenbacher popcorn boxes and Subway napkins. One tried to reach Canada; the others boarded aircraft bound for Beijing.

(Excerpt) Read more at money.cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: agriculture; china; hybrid; inbred; patents; theft
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Comment #1 Removed by Moderator

To: afraidfortherepublic

Most countries are trying to keep our gmo stuff out. lol


2 posted on 07/03/2014 8:50:40 AM PDT by DonaldC (A nation cannot stand in the absence of religious principle.)
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To: afraidfortherepublic

Because 75% of their economy is dependent upon stuff they already stole from the US?


3 posted on 07/03/2014 8:50:41 AM PDT by Attention Surplus Disorder (At no time was the Obama administration aware of what the Obama administration was doing)
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To: afraidfortherepublic

Popcorn.
While they watch the greatest nation on earth implode.


4 posted on 07/03/2014 8:55:21 AM PDT by WestwardHo
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To: afraidfortherepublic

already the Chinese can build a space satellite out of used slinky’s ... can you imagine what they could do with a few thousand hectares of super (albeit, modified) corn ?


5 posted on 07/03/2014 8:55:40 AM PDT by knarf (I say things that are true .. I have no proof .. but they're true.)
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To: DonaldC

Because it’s cheaper to steal than to do the research for yourself.


6 posted on 07/03/2014 8:56:24 AM PDT by DoodleDawg
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To: afraidfortherepublic

Every commie chinaman I’ve met was a lying thief. I leave honeypots for them. It can be quite fun.


7 posted on 07/03/2014 8:56:45 AM PDT by Born to Conserve
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To: DoodleDawg

Not when you have Slick Willie as your front man. It doesn’t cost anything then.


8 posted on 07/03/2014 9:00:45 AM PDT by Resolute Conservative
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To: DonaldC
As far as I'm concerned *every* Chinese national present in an advanced industrial country (US,Canada,Europe,Japan,etc) is a spy...either a military one or an economic one.Some of them may be willing,enthusiastic spies (”I'll do anything in honor of Chairman Mao”) and some may be unwilling ones (”Comrade Ying,don't forget that we know exactly where your wife and children live”).But the result's the same.
9 posted on 07/03/2014 9:02:58 AM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Rat Party Policy:Lie,Deny,Refuse To Comply)
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To: WestwardHo

We are not going to implode. The groaning and straining you hear is America about to take a cataclysmic dump. When that stool is passed, the Taker class, bureaucrats, Muslims, Urban Ferals, Latrinos, ad nauseam - all will get a “Swirly” that will long be remembered.


10 posted on 07/03/2014 9:03:05 AM PDT by GladesGuru (Islam Delenda Est. Because of what Islam is - and for what Muslims do.)
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To: DonaldC

Seeing how I don’t believe in Patented seeds and have a particular animosity towards Monsanto I can loudly proclaim that I don’t care. The more food for the world the merrier.


11 posted on 07/03/2014 9:04:36 AM PDT by Usagi_yo
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To: DonaldC

They could just buy them, the seed stocks used by the hybrid seed corn companies do this all the time - they buy the inbred parent seed from the breeding farms (usually maintained by the Land Grant University of any of the participating states), where the pure lines are kept, then the seed is planted in “male” and “female” rows when grown to produce the F1 hybrid seed corn. The F1 crop does NOT breed true when planted to produce the F2 generation, nor is it a good example of the hybrid qualities being sought.


12 posted on 07/03/2014 9:05:57 AM PDT by alloysteel (Selective and willful ignorance spells doom, to both victim and perpetrator - mostly the perp.)
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To: Resolute Conservative
Not when you have Slick Willie as your front man. It doesn’t cost anything then.

Clinton wouldn't do anything for free. Stealing is cheaper.

13 posted on 07/03/2014 9:06:03 AM PDT by DoodleDawg
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To: DonaldC

China however, isn’t scared of shadows. They want to eat.


14 posted on 07/03/2014 9:06:07 AM PDT by Bogey78O (We had a good run. Coulda been great still.)
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To: DonaldC

Heck, we’ve been selling them our balance sheet in order to prop up our income statement for decades.


15 posted on 07/03/2014 9:08:04 AM PDT by P.O.E. (Pray for America)
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To: DonaldC

Some day we should just send China a bill for a trillion or two and cancel any US debt they hold. Their violations of US patents and copyrights and all sorts of product counterfeiting would easily run into the trillions over the past several decades.


16 posted on 07/03/2014 9:09:24 AM PDT by Will88
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To: Will88

That’s called a Default ... and it’s coming.


17 posted on 07/03/2014 9:10:27 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy ("Harvey Dent, can we trust him?" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBsdV--kLoQ)
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To: DonaldC

A point has been made to me about GMO

How many people have died from malnutrition?
How many people have died from GMO?

Kinda favors GMO, doesn’t it?


18 posted on 07/03/2014 9:13:27 AM PDT by Little Ray (How did I end up in this hand-basket, and why is it getting so hot?)
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To: Will88

There’s an inspired thought. I’ll subscribe to your newsletter.


19 posted on 07/03/2014 9:13:27 AM PDT by alancarp
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To: ClearCase_guy
That’s called a Default ... and it’s coming.

No, with China it would be called a valuation of stolen property applied against our outstanding debt.

20 posted on 07/03/2014 9:15:01 AM PDT by Will88
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