For the first time in the nation's history, Chinese scientists from the country's Ningxia Hui Region have successfully cloned three Holstein Friesian cows, according to the Global Times, a paper with close ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
The aim of the experiment was to meet the demands of China's growing middle class and reduce the country's dependence on importing dairy cows, which account for 70%.
The clone samples were taken from a Holstein Friesian, which are known as super cows, capable of producing up to 36,000 pounds of milk a year. Following the success of the experiment, the team plans to build a herd of more than 1,000 super cows over the next several years.
The procedure follows China's prior ventures to improve its food supply, including the construction of the world's largest animal cloning factory in 2015, with plans to clone up to 1 million beef cattle per year, as well as racehorses and pets.