China is drawing up an interim measure to ensure smooth imports of
genetically modified organism (GMO) products, said the
Ministry of Foreign
Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC) yesterday.
The temporary measure that would ensure safe handling of GMOs will
be published soon, the ministry said in a statement.
MOFTEC's announcement came after "positive and fruitful" talks
between China and the United States earlier this week on GMO
products.
The Chinese delegation to the talks was headed by Ma Xiuhong,
vice-minister of MOFTEC.
Besides MOFTEC officials, delegation members also included Ministry
of Agriculture and State General Administration for Quality
Supervision and Inspection and Quarantine representatives.
MOFTEC officials said they are seriously considering complaints
from US soybean traders about the Chinese GMO regulations and are
actively seeking measures to ensure smooth trading.
But they said the Chinese Government is also greatly concerned with
the safety of GMO products.
Some experts said the increasing use of GMO products may pose a
danger to biological diversity and human health in China.
These concerns have led the Chinese Government to issue the
regulations on the safe management of GMO products as well as to
create biological safety management organizations to research and
train management and technical staff, they said.
Zhang Xiaoping, an official with the Beijing office of the American
Soybean Association, said a bulletin explaining the temporary
measures is widely expected to come out before the Chinese
regulations on GMO products take effect on March 20.
It
is expected to include detailed procedures on applying for safety
certificates, market access and labelling.
Last June, China established rules to strengthen the safety and
management of GMO products, which alarmed US exporters of GMO
products such as soybeans, corn and cotton.
The Ministry of Agriculture later announced that the rule did not
apply to import contracts signed before June 6 and has virtually
reversed the law.
China continued to import large amounts of GMO products last year,
by using contracts that were made to appear as if they had been
signed before June 6 while the goods passed through Chinese
customs.
China then supplemented the law with more detail in early January,
which will now take effect on March 20.
But US traders still complain that the rules are not explicit and
practical and demand specifics and explanations from Chinese
authorities.
(China
Daily March 9, 2002)