China is expected to increase its rice import from Thailand this year after charges that rice were tainted by genetically modified (GMO) grain was proven to be false.

Chinese authorities in Guangdong province earlier complained that three lots of Thai rice shipped to the province in May were tainted with GMO but it was later determined that foreign substances were mixed with Thai rice apparently by unscrupulous Chinese importers.

During the first five months of this year, Thailand exported 163,210 MT of rice to China.