AP Photo

Two weeks ago, the Asian arm of Greenpeace issued an alarming press release: “24 children used as guinea pigs in genetically engineered ‘Golden Rice’ trial.” A Chinese news agency leaped on the story and reported that Chinese and American researchers had carried out a dangerous and unauthorized experiment to feed modified rice to a group of rural children in Hunan. The Chinese blogosphere lit up with outrage. China’s top health authority denied that it had approved the research; it suspended a Chinese scientist and demanded that the Americans investigate.