By Ding Qingfen (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-10-30 07:31

Nanning - China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Monday released the Nanning Joint Statement to strengthen collaboration on food safety.

The statement was issued at the end of the two-day China-ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine in the southwestern city.

Food safety and product quality are among the main focuses at the ongoing 4th China-ASEAN Expo and 4th China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit.

"Quality is a key factor to ensure healthy and rapid economic development, especially in export-oriented economies," Li Changjiang, director of China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), said.

According to the joint statement, ministers and representatives from China and ASEAN countries as well as the ASEAN Secretariat had extensive exchanges on food safety laws and regulations, and administrative systems.

They agreed on eight points of common understanding on strengthening food safety, promoting food trade and protecting consumer rights.

The ministers pledged to encourage active exchanges of information about food safety laws, regulations, standards and information to enhance mutual understanding and trust.

"We agreed that notification on any new food safety and sanitary measures on food importation should be transmitted promptly" according to the joint statement.

The participants agreed that the responsibility for ensuring food safety should rest with exporting countries, and pledged to verify and clarify food safety reports, food alerts or allegations of unsafe food to ensure consumer rights are not exposed to risk.

The efforts to strengthen food safety cooperation will "not only improve the quality of food products, but also benefit the 1.8 billion people in the region," said Laotian Vice-Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Ty Phommasack.