The US and China have signed a Joint Progress Statement which outlines steps taken by both nations in implementing the 2007 Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on food and feed safety. The US Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Mike Leavitt and Li Changjiang, Minister of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine (AQSIQ) of the People’s Republic of China have jointly signed a progress report that has been chiefly carved out to enhance safety standards of China’s food exports the US.
Both parties will meet again in a week’s time in Annapolis, MD to resume the United States-China Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED). The report on higher food safety standards has become the forerunner to the SED. The US and China for sometime been having serious differences in China’s minimal effort in containing piracy. The poisoned Chinese dumplings exports to Japan had alerted the US to take preventive steps by insisting on tamper proof standards. Both officials hope that the evaluation will help to iron out some of the differences among them.
Leavitt opined, report reflected strong and sustained cooperation by both nations to strengthen the safety of food products exported to the United States from China. He acknowledged the commitment of the Chinese counterparts towards their efforts and commended them for the co-operation.
The MOA, signed during the third session under the SED in December 2007, established a bilateral mechanism to provide greater information and other assurances to enhance the safety of food and feed products traded between the two countries. Since its signing, HHS’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and AQSIQ have planned a joint implementation work strategy and a periodical evaluation on the progress, the report is one such step.
Besides, the pact will also focus on providing training for Chinese officials on the US regulatory standards and requirements by the US experts. The pact will establish a cooperative mechanism to notify each other about the significant risks to public health related to product safety or the gross deception of consumers, and to share information to investigate each other in the process.