China tells U.N. health agency its food exports are safe

BEIJING -- China has sent a notice to the World Health Organization defending the quality of its food exports, a spokeswoman said Wednesday, and an official linked to the country's drug industry was sentenced to prison in a bribery case.

The notice from the Ministry of Health is a part of the government's stepped-up campaign to alleviate global concern over Chinese food and other exports following product recalls and complaints of chemically tainted toys, seafood and juice.

The ministry repeated previous Chinese statements that 99 percent of the country's food exports are safe, but also sought WHO's help in improving food quality.

"WHO is pleased to have received this briefing from the MOH, which shows that the government has recognized that China has some special challenges and is working to address them," said Joanna Brent, WHO's Beijing-based spokeswoman.

The notice, which was sent a week ago but posted on the ministry's Web site Wednesday, said the government "has consistently placed a high priority on the work of food safety," adding that leaders were "willing to increase information exchanges and communication with international society and other countries in line with its attitude of openness and transparency."

The ministry also reiterated a list of actions China has taken recently to improve food safety, from increased inspections to penalties for companies that violate standards.

"We hope the World Health Organization gives support and help to China's food safety work, and also reports on the situation to member states," it said.

Also Wednesday, the official Xinhua News Agency said the former head of the food and drug bureau in Zhejiang province was sentenced to four years in prison for taking bribes.

Zheng Shangjin had connections with Zheng Xiaoyu, former head of the State Food and Drug Administration, who was executed last month for taking bribes to approve substandard medicines, including an antibiotic that killed at least 10 people. The two men are not related.

Zheng Shangjin once arranged a meeting between Zheng Xiaoyu and officials of the Hainan Kangliyuan Group, which has been accused of giving the SFDA head bribes and paintings in exchange for receiving approvals for more than 270 drugs, state media have reported.

Xinhua said Zheng Shangjin, who was removed from his post in October, abused his power and accepted bribes totaling $90,000 from Kangliyuan officials, allowing them to give money to his relatives and buy him an Audi.

China began requiring that all drugs be approved by the SFDA only in 2002, a move that created a massive backlog, giving companies a strong incentive to find ways to expedite approvals, sometimes of bogus or dangerous drugs.

Leniency was shown to Zheng because he "surrendered himself to the police, told them all the crimes he had committed" and returned the bribes, Xinhua said.

This week, China launched a campaign to weed out unqualified manufacturers amid a global recall of Chinese-made toys -- part of a bigger, four-month effort to improve overall quality in all steps of production.

The crackdown on toy makers came two weeks after Mattel Inc., the world's largest toy maker, recalled almost 19 million dolls, cars and action figures because they contained lead paint or tiny magnets that could damage organs if swallowed by children.

Chinese officials have said Mattel is also partly to blame because of poor designs and inadequate inspections.

On Tuesday, about 6,000 China-made Robbie Ducky Kids Watering Cans were recalled in the United States because the beak of the can contains lead-tainted paint.

Chen Xitong, an official with China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, said the agency will contact the U.S. consumer protection group for more details and will conduct an investigation.

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On the Web:

Ministry of Health: www.moh.gov.cn