From The New York Times:

With a growing number of cases involving the sale of fraudulent or dangerous medicines, China said Friday that it had ordered a thorough investigation into its government agency that is supposed to be the national watchdog.

The government said it had detained Zheng Xiaoyu, the head of the State Food and Drug Administration from the time of its founding in 1998 until he retired in June 2005. The move is a major step in a wider government investigation into corruption in the country’s fast-growing pharmaceutical industry.

The investigation was ordered by senior government leaders, including Prime Minister, Wen Jiabao and a deputy prime minister, Wu Yi, underscoring how serious the problem has become. [Full Text]

(Photo of Zheng Xiaoyu)