(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-10-29 17:21

NANNING - China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Monday issued a joint statement, vowing to strengthen cooperation in food safety, promote food trade and protect consumers' rights and benefits.

The Nanning Joint Statement was issued at the end of the two-day China-ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine in the southern China city of Nanning, where the Fourth China-ASEAN Expo and Fourth China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit are going on.

According to the joint statement, ministers and representatives from China and ASEAN countries as well as the ASEAN Secretariat have had extensive exchanges on food safety laws and regulations, and administrative systems of China and ASEAN members, before mutual understanding was enhanced.

Based the discussions, they reached eight points of common understanding on strengthening China-ASEAN food safety, promoting food trade and protecting consumers' rights.