China's lengthy approval process for genetically modified crops remains a stumbling block in negotiations to end the trade war between China and the United States.

Some U.S. companies, such as DowDuPont Inc, Bayer AG and Syngenta A, as well as many farmers have complained that for several years, Beijing, while approving new varieties of GM crops, has restricted their products to Chinese stores.

The issue of speedy approval of the list of GM crops that are allowed for supply to outlets in China, and one of the cornerstones in the trade relations between the two countries, the administration of President Donald Trump demands to decide if Beijing wants to put an end to trade disputes that have already cost both countries billions of dollars and slowed down the global economy.

This problem has been a source of tension between the two countries for many years. China is the largest buyer of US soybeans, most of which are genetically modified and the United States wants China to speed up the process of approving the list of GM crops.

Beijing allows the import of GMO soybeans and corn for use as animal feed, although it does not allow their planting. China bought about 60 percent of U.S. soybean exports worth about $ 12 billion before the ongoing U.S.-China trade war, and declined shipments of unapproved varieties.