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1Foodsafety'atoppriority'ByWuJiao,LiXiaokunandShanJuan(ChinaDaily)Updated:11-03-03Assetsofofficialswillbemadepublicgradually,saysspokesmanBEIJING-Awarningtopotentialfoodsafetyoffendershasbeenissuedbyaseniormemberofthetoppoliticaladvisorybodyafteranumberofincidentsoffoodcontaminationcauseddeathsandendangeredlives.Describingtheproducersofcontaminatedfoodaslackingintegrityandshame,ZhaoQizheng,spokesmanfortheFourthSessionofthe11thNationalCommitteeoftheChinesePeople'sPoliticalConsultativeConference(CPPCC),warnedthattherevisedCriminalLawwillserveasadeterrenttopotentialoffenders.Zhaoalsocalledonthehealthauthoritiesandthoseentrustedwithqualitysupervisiontoimprovemonitoring,andaskedthemediatoactassupervisors.TheStandingCommitteeoftheNationalPeople'sCongress(NPC),thetoplegislature,passedanamendmenttotheCriminalLawonFeb25atitsbi-monthlysession.Whilereducingthenumberofcrimespunishablebydeathby13to55,therevisedlawimposesharsherpunishmentsonoffendersinvolvedinfood-relatedcrimes,includingcapitalpunishment.Zhaoissuedthewarningwhileaskedtocommentonrecentfood-safetyscandalsatthefirstnewsconferenceoftheFourthSessionofthe11thNationalCommitteeoftheCPPCC,whichwilllastuntilMarch13.Enterprisesmusthavecredibility,andnotoriousfirmslikeSanlu,producerofmelamine-taintedbabyformulaproducts,aredoomedtoperish,hesaid.AccordingtoZhao,Chinahasbecomeincreasinglyawareofissuesinvolvingfoodsafety,asprovenbythestricterpenalties.Inrecentyears,foodsafetyhasbecomeamajorpublicconcernonthemainlandafteraseriesofscandalsinvolvingtheillegaluseofprohibitedingredientsandadditives.In2008,melamine-taintedmilkpowderledtoatleastsixinfantdeathsand300,000fellillafterbeingfedcontaminatedproducts.Theincidenthastakenaheavytollonthedomesticdairyindustry.Importeddairyproductsaccountforhalfofthedomesticmarket,up10percentagepointsfrom2008whenthemelaminescandaloccurred,saidMaYing,deputydirectoroftheDairyIndustryManagementOfficeattheMinistryofAgriculture,onTuesday.ForeignbrandsnowaccountfornearlyhalfofChina'sinfantmilkpowdersupply,whichtotaled560,000tonslastyear.Afterthemelaminescandal,theStateCouncilestablishedanationalfoodsafetycommissionandappointedVice-PremierLiKeqiangtoheaditinFebruary2009.TheNPCStandingCommitteelateradoptedtheFoodSafetyLaw.Toenhancesupervision,monitoringcentershavebeensetupin31provinces,218prefecturesand312countiesonthemainland,accordingtotheMinistryofHealth.In2010,Chinadealtwith130,000casesinvolvingfoodsafety,115ofwhichwerecriminal,accordingtoastatementissuedbytheNationalFoodSafetyRegulatingWorkOfficeinlateJanuary.Atotalof248peopleinvolvedwerearrested.Atthesamenewsconference,Zhaoalsosaidthattheassetsofgovernmentofficialswillgraduallybemadepublic.Theprocesswillbetime-consumingasChinahasnearly10millioncivilservantsandalargenumberofpeopleworkingingovernment-affiliatedinstitutions,Zhaotoldreporters.Currently,governmentofficialsarerequiredtoreportnotonlytheirincome,propertyinterestsandinvestments,butalsoiftheirspousesorchildrenliveabroad,hesaid.Manythingshavetobedone,step-by-step,beforethedefinitionofassetsismadeclear,hesaid.MembersoftheCPPCCwillcarryoutmoreresearchandsuggestproposalstohelpimproveregulationsgoverningthedisclosureofassets,Zhaosaid.Ontheinfluenceofonlinepublicopinion,ZhaosaidpeopleshouldbecautiousaboutInternetmercenaries,thosewhopostcommentsonlinetomanipulateothers.WefeelthattheInternetcultureandenvironmentisgettingmorecomplicated,hesaid.Moreandmorepeopleuseittoexchangeviewsandparticipateinpoliticalissues,Zhaosaid,notingthatChinahad457millionInternetusersbytheendoflastyear.2Butsomeusers,backedbyinstitutionswithcertainagendas,disguisethemselvesasordinarynetizensandpostcommentsinordertoaffectanddivertpublicopinion,orevendisturbgovernmentpolicymaking,hesaid.Thiscallsforthegovernment'sattentionandalertnessasChinalackslegislationinthisregard,Zhaonoted.FoodsafetywilloccupyhigherplaceonagendaByShanJuanUpdated:11-03-02Beijing-TheChinesegovernment'scapacitytosecurefoodsafetywillbeimprovedbyconstanteffortstosolveproblemsinthefield,especiallyinsupervision,saidakeyofficialofthecentralgovernment.ZhangYong,whoheadstheofficeoftheStateCouncilFoodSafetyCommission,toldXinhuaNewsAgencythatChina'sfoodsafetysituationisgenerallystableandimproving.Theleveloffoodsafetyinthecountryimprovedin2010,withnomajorcrisis,Zhangsaid.Nearlyallmajorfooditemsthathavebeentested,includingvegetables,livestockandaquaticproducts,wereuptonationalstandards,officialstatisticsshowed.However,fortheChinesepublic,acrisislikethemelamine-taintedmilkproducts,whichkilledatleastsixinfantsandmade300,000illonthemainland,stillseriouslyaffectstheirconfidenceinChina'sfoodsafetyandthegovernment'scapacitytomanageit.Zhangsaidthat,giventhesizeofthecountryandthelargenumberoffoodmanufacturers,itdoestaketimeandpublicsupporttoimprovethesituation.Evenwithstrictsupervision,themanufacturerisstillthefirstonetobeaccountableforfoodsafetyandquality,hesaid.GiventhatfoodchainsystemsinChinaarecomplicated,variousadministrationsareinvolvedinmanagementandsupervision,andthishasresultedinregulatorygapsand,occasionally,