Salt in the soil has always made it almost impossible to grow crops such as rice. But that's now changing.

The "Qingdao Sea Rice Research and Development Center" led by Yuan Longping, the father of China's hybrid rice, is creating a miracle – saline-alkali tolerant rice. It succeeded in growing the new rice in coastal regions like east China's Qingdao City and in desert areas as far away as Dubai, growing the two countries’ bond stronger.