Chinese scientists have successfully produced the country's first cloned pig, state media said, hailing it as a major scientific breakthrough.

　　The Chinese Agriculture University announced that the healthy 1.1 kilogramme (2.4 pounds) piglet was born in the central province of Hebei on Friday, Xinhua news agency reported.

　　It said China was the seventh country to have successfully cloned pigs, after Britain, Japan, the United States, Australia, South Korea and Germany.

　　The cloned piglet was one of three born to a female pig, but the other two died soon after birth.

　　The report quoted scientists as saying that cloned pigs would be useful for organ transplants and scientific research, as well as for improving pig species.