China vows to ensure food and drug safety for people, since such problems closely link to Chinese people's health and life safety, and the economic development and social stability as well, said Wu Guangzheng, a senior Chinese official in an inspection to the State Food and Drug Administration on April 29.

Wu, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said there are some negative problems existing in food and drug sectors, such as the sale of fake, toxic food and advertisement for illegal drugs. What's worse, the administration, supervision and law implementation in certain areas were not effective, which greatly harmed the interests of the Chinese people.

The Chinese government, in line with its policy on putting people first, will take concrete, realistic measures to safeguard people's food and drug safety, by severely checking and punishing the illegal activities of producing and selling fake and substandard food and drugs, Wu said.

He stressed the Chinese government will enhance supervision and management on the food and drug market in four steps. First, special inspections into the food and drug markets will be carried out to clamp down on food and drug production and sale without official permission. The central and local governments will put more focus on advertisement for drugs, and the food supply for children and rural areas.

Secondly, the government will crack down on illegal cases of producing and selling fake food and drugs, following effective practice on banning shoddy milk powder in east China's Anhui Province last year. Cases causing large numbers of victims should be seriously handled, and officials failing to fulfill their responsibility should be severely punished.

Thirdly, Wu said, in-depth analysis on food and drug safety cases should be made, to set up a long-term and effective mechanism monitoring food and drug supplies. Reform should be carried out in the official approval on food and drugs to prevent unqualified products from entering the market. A supervision network on drug supply in rural areas should also be set up.

Wu said, fourthly, governmental administrations should join hands to supervise the food and drug supply, to ensure that laws be fully implemented for the administrative power to take effect.

(Xinhua News Agency June 9, 2005)