There is a growing concern on Chinese consumers' attitudes toward genetically modified foods(GMF).Although there are many studies on this issue,the results of those studies are quite mixed.The objective of this study is to examine the Chinese consumers' awareness,acceptance and willingness to buy GMF based on the survey data collected in 11 cities of 5 provinces in eastern China.The research results indicate that,more than two thirds of the consumers in urban China had heard of GMF by the late 2002,but their knowledge on genetically modified technology is limited.The level of acceptance and willingness to buy GMF in urban China is high,and consumers demonstrate great variance in their attitudes to GMF under different food categories.Knowledge about GMF,income,and the level of the living city all play important roles in determining consumers' attitudes toward GMF.