US confident in Chinese products

WATCH VIDEO

Source: CCTV.com | 12-12-2007 09:17

US Secretary of Health, Mike Leavitt says the US appreciates China's swift action on food safety and that the country has confidence in Chinese products. He was speaking in Beijing, where he toured a juice factory.

Leavitt was very interested in every detail of the factory's production process, and was impressed by its technology.

Zhu Xinli, Chairman of Huiyuan Juice Group, Ltd., said, "This is the filling machine. The traditional process of sterilization took 20 to 30 minutes. Now it takes just 15 seconds. It also keeps the fresh color and the vitamins in the juice."

Based on what he saw at the factory, Leavitt said he is very impressed and confident about what China can produce.

Mike Leavitt, US Sec'y of Health & Human Servies, said, "When I pick up a bottle of orange juice in the United States and read the package it is processed in China, I will have confidence, because I have seen it and I know that the Chinese government is taking very direct steps to ensure its quality and safety."

Leavitt also said the United States highly appreciates China's concrete efforts in tackling problems in quality and guaranteeing its food safety.

He emphasized that product quality is not only about making improvements in China but about improving the monitoring of import and export systems in all countries.

China's quality watchdog Vice Minister echoed Leavitt's comments, and said that China has placed the issue of product safety as top priority.

AQSIQ Vice Minister Wei Chuanzhong said, "China and the United States are important trade partners. Thus the product and food safety issue between the two sides is the most important issue to China."

The exporting of food from China to the United States has grown rapidly in recent years. Both sides are confident that with mutual understanding, trade ties will continue to grow in a healthy and significant way.

Editor:Zhang Ning