The truth is out there somewhere

Fang is no Mr Congeniality. A couple of years ago, he ridiculed Buddhism when Faye Wong, perhaps China's most popular singer, associated the power of religion with the survival of a Buddhist object in a fire. He also "proved" - not necessarily beyond doubt - that best-selling writer Han Han was not the real author of his early work but had his father serve as his ghostwriter - this despite Han presenting tons of evidence to show otherwise, including his original hand-written manuscripts. In recent years, the targets of Fang's unflattering scrutiny shared a liberal political leaning, which made many suspect his motives.

Stripped of all the hoopla, Fang is deeply committed to science. Trained in biology, he believes in only those things that can be proved scientifically. In a 2011 video interview, he told me that while he strongly opposes the traditional Chinese approach to the world, such as yin and yang, he embraces tai chi as a fitness regimen.

For Fang, all the tests conducted by the US Food and Drug Administration, the WHO, etcetera, are enough to prove that GM food is safe. People who want to prove otherwise have to equip themselves with deeper knowledge of all the science concerned and a television celebrity is blocking the advance of science by raising a veil of suspicion around an important issue.

For Cui, truth is what he seeks as a journalist. He said he had learned not to take what others say at face value. Whether you're a politician or a scientist, as long as the issue concerns the public interest he'll press ahead with a barrage of questions, not all of which may sound reasonable. When he approaches a pro-GM specialist, he'll fire volleys of questions from the anti-GM perspective, which is to be expected. But he uses the same tactic and faces an anti-GM expert from the point of view of a GM advocate.

Cui is editing footage from his investigative trips into two documentaries - one arguing for and the other against GM food. "As a professional reporter, I have always presented both voices, even on my micro blog. The public can draw its own conclusion."

For more X-Ray, here