Yuan Longping, known as the "Father of Hybrid Rice," has led government-funded research on genetically modified (GM) rice since 2008, and his son has already published several theses on GM technology, the Beijing Times reports.

People's Daily Online on Thursday quoted Yuan as saying that "genetically modified food shouldn't be evaluated one-sidedly" in a video program, which has aroused much attention.

Yuan said his team is trying to transform a certain gene of corn into rice, which would improve photosynthetic efficiency and output. "Can't such genetically modified rice be edible, as corn is included in our diet?"

The video also included an interview with an opponent of GM food, Yan Lianke, a renowned Chinese novelist, who said another generation or two is necessary to determine whether GM food is safe or not.

A report by People's Daily Online in 2010 said that Yuan supported GM research after communicating with Zhang Qifa, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences who advocates GM rice.

The report also mentioned that Yuan was shouldering a government-funded research project on GM rice and building an industrial base in 2008.

But Yuan insisted that he is a centrist on the issue of GM rice, calling for more prudent steps in applying genetic engineering technology to food.

Yuan said he hoped to be a volunteer of GM rice test on influence of next generation, but gave it up as he is too old, so he called on young people to be volunteers.

The magazine Southern People Weekly last year reported that Yuan's younger son Yuan Dingyang has been researching GM rice since graduating in biology from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

The Beijing Times also found a thesis on GM rice published in 2011, written in part by Yuan Longping and his son.