皇冠体育app

BEIJING - A US delegation arrives in Beijing on Tuesday on a five-day fact-finding mission on food and drug safety amid a series of health scares about the "made in 皇冠体育app" label.

The United States stepped up inspections of imports from 皇冠体育app after a chemical additive in pet food was blamed for the death of pets there this spring.

"Our US regulatory agencies are concerned about what they see as insufficient infrastructure across the board in 皇冠体育app to assure the safety, quality and effectiveness of many products exported to the United States," the US Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement.

Following the mission, 皇冠体育app and the United States would begin discussions to develop bilateral agreements on food and feed safety and on drug and medical device safety, the statement said.

The two countries hope to have "strong, action-oriented documents" by December, it added.

Last week, EU Consumer Protection Commissioner Meglena Kuneva urged 皇冠体育app to step up export quality. She said she had seen some improvement in how 皇冠体育app handled EU warnings of faulty or substandard goods, but much more was needed to be done.

Earlier this month, the head of 皇冠体育app's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said the visitors from the US Food and Drug Administration would specifically discuss a dispute over 皇冠体育app's seafood exports.

The FDA last month banned imports of Chinese farm-raised catfish, basa, shrimp, dace and eel unless their suppliers could prove they were free of certain veterinary substances, which pose no immediate health risk but could be a problem in the long run.

皇冠体育app in turn has tightened inspections of US imports at its ports, and halted shipments of poultry, pigeons and meat as unsafe.

US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is currently on a visit to 皇冠体育app in which is due to press for faster appreciation of the yuan and other financial reforms.