There has been growing unrest in China due to food safety concerns, poisoning, and fake drugs. The Asian Development Bank criticized the Chinese administration last year and called for urgent reforms. Whether Chinese officials are responding to outside pressure or to the worries of its citizens and businesses, several prominent Chinese officials have issued apologies for the food safety problems and have announced their commitment to evaluate food and drug regulations and monitoring.
From China Daily via Xinhua:
Ms. Liu while shopping at a supercenter in Haidian District of Beijing: “I often wonder what food remains safe,” she added, refusing to give her full name. Her concern is echoed by a majority of Chinese people. An earlier survey by the State Food and Drug Administration showed 65 percent of the respondents worried about food safety situation in China.
“The concerns reflect their dissatisfaction with government performance on food safety checking. Food security is vital to building a harmonious society,” said Lu Jianzhong, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the top political advisory body. [Full Text]
Also from People’s Daily:
China’s Vice Premier Wu Yi apologized to lawmakers on Wednesday. She promised that the government will, in this year, tighten the supervision over small workshops, food stores, stalls and eateries, where food poisoning accidents are most likely to happen.
The government will also tighten the monitoring of the food and drug businesses in the production and distribution fields, Wu said. [Full Text]
