Chemical plants will soon be subject to a nationwide inspection
to stamp out illegal drug manufacturing, Vice-Premier Wu Yi said on
Friday.
"The inspection is aimed at ensuring drug safety, as there are
many plants using chemicals to make pharmaceuticals," Wu said.
"Drugs made from chemicals are very harmful and we have to
ensure that only qualified pharmaceutical firms manufacture
medicine," she said.
Addressing the third general meeting of a four-month safety
campaign, Wu also said a draft law on food safety to raise
standards and regulate supervision had been submitted to the
National People's Congress (NPC) for approval.
"The draft law is part of efforts to set up a long-term system
to ensure food safety and consolidate the achievements of the
national campaign against poor products," she said.
Wu said several central government departments, including the
Ministry of Agriculture and the General Administration of Quality
Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, will also issue regulations
to ensure food safety and product quality.
According to the NPC Central Committee work plan, the food
safety draft law will be ready for its first reading later this
month.
Meanwhile, legislators in Guangdong and Beijing approved local
food safety regulations on Friday and both will come into effect on
January 1.
Before Friday's general meeting, Wu led a delegation doing spot
checks on food and drug safety, as well as product quality of
exports and imports in 11 cities in Guangdong.
"Guangdong, one of the country's economic powerhouses, has many
toy, food and pharmaceutical companies that contribute one-third of
the nation's trade volume. So it is of great importance to
safeguard food and drug safety here," Wu said.
(China Daily December 1, 2007)