The Chinese government on Thursday started a four-month
nationwide campaign to improve the quality of goods and food
safety.
During her speech at a conference on quality and safety issues
held on Thursday, Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi described the campaign
as a "special battle" to ensure the people's health and interests
and maintain a good image of Chinese products.
The campaign will target farm produce, processed food, catering
sector, drugs, pork, imported and exported goods and products in
close link to human safety and health.
Wu, also head of the newly-established national leading group to
address product quality and safety issues, called for an integrated
quality monitoring network across the country, covering product
design, raw materials, processing, sales and service.
A sense of quality should be aroused among the whole society, Wu
stressed.
Li Changjiang, head of the General Administration of Quality
Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, said related authorities
should inform the public of the latest progress of the campaign by
holding joint press conferences at least once a month.
The qualification rate of exported Chinese food products has
been over 99 percent for many years, according to a white paper on
the country's food safety issued by the government on Friday.
"Yet, there are still a tiny number of enterprises that
disregard the law, regulations and standards of China and importing
countries and, by deception or fraud, avoid supervision by the
inspection and quarantine authorities, or export food by improper
channels," the white paper said.
Since this March, quality and safety issues of made-in-China
products have been under international spotlight, ranging from pet
foods to drugs, toothpastes, toys, aquatic products and tyres.
(Xinhua News Agency August 24 2007)
