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Ala Ag Chief on Chinese Execution

Mike

Well-known member
State ag chief: Chinese execution not enough

By Jamie Kizzire

You might believe that executing the person responsible for slipups in your food and drug regulation would convince others that you are serious about fixing the problems. Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks is not yet convinced.

Zheng Xiaoyu, former director of China's State Food and Drug Administration, was executed Tuesday after being convicted of taking bribes to approve fake medicine, according to a story on the English Web site for the official Xinhua News Agency. It did not specify how he was executed.

But Sparks, who helped start the war against Chinese imports by removing Chinese catfish from Alabama markets because they didn't meet federal health standards, said it will take new safety policies -- not executions -- to show him that China is serious about food and drug safety.

"I don't think you get to that point by taking people's heads off or killing folks," Sparks said after Tuesday's announcement of the execution.

Sparks said only dialogue with U.S. officials and strong food and drug policies will fix the problem.

"They've got to reassure us that they have the same goals that we do," said Sparks, who removed Chinese catfish from Alabama markets in late April after they tested positive for unsafe levels of a banned antibiotic. "And that's to make sure that the food they send to this country and that the food they feed to their own people is safe."

Sparks said he would continue to work with U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials on food safety issues. The state catfish sale ban instituted in April will stay in place.

While the catfish were one of the first international problems facing exports from China, it was far from the only one. Chinese products sold in other countries have been found unsafe, including tainted pet food, toothpaste with deadly chemicals, juice with unsafe color additives and monkfish with dangerous levels of puffer fish toxins.

China has created a five-year plan for stricter quality control of its food and drugs. By 2010, the plan should "significantly reduce the number of incidents caused by substandard food or drug products," according to the state news agency.

But Jeremy Haft, an expert in Chinese business and founder of BChinaB Inc., like Sparks, was not totally convinced.

He said China's plan could work, but noted that the statement is not exact and does not specify how much of a reduction would be a "significant" reduction.

Still, he said it is clear China realizes the damage poor products can have on its bottom line.

"They're taking this very seriously," he said.

Haft's New York firm helps other companies doing business in China, including maintaining quality control at Chinese factories.

He said China's government has its obstacles to overcome, but also has a major advantage.

The Chinese government is a huge bureaucracy, said Haft, author of "All the Tea in China," a book about doing business in China.

But he also said that the Communist country also quickly can bring about change since there aren't several political parties debating policy.

"This is one of the benefits of having a one-party system," he said.
 

NMRANCHER

Well-known member
Mike said:
State ag chief: Chinese execution not enough

By Jamie Kizzire

You might believe that executing the person responsible for slipups in your food and drug regulation would convince others that you are serious about fixing the problems. Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks is not yet convinced.

Zheng Xiaoyu, former director of China's State Food and Drug Administration, was executed Tuesday after being convicted of taking bribes to approve fake medicine, according to a story on the English Web site for the official Xinhua News Agency. It did not specify how he was executed.

But Sparks, who helped start the war against Chinese imports by removing Chinese catfish from Alabama markets because they didn't meet federal health standards, said it will take new safety policies -- not executions -- to show him that China is serious about food and drug safety.

"I don't think you get to that point by taking people's heads off or killing folks," Sparks said after Tuesday's announcement of the execution.

Sparks said only dialogue with U.S. officials and strong food and drug policies will fix the problem.

"They've got to reassure us that they have the same goals that we do," said Sparks, who removed Chinese catfish from Alabama markets in late April after they tested positive for unsafe levels of a banned antibiotic. "And that's to make sure that the food they send to this country and that the food they feed to their own people is safe."

Sparks said he would continue to work with U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials on food safety issues. The state catfish sale ban instituted in April will stay in place.

While the catfish were one of the first international problems facing exports from China, it was far from the only one. Chinese products sold in other countries have been found unsafe, including tainted pet food, toothpaste with deadly chemicals, juice with unsafe color additives and monkfish with dangerous levels of puffer fish toxins.

China has created a five-year plan for stricter quality control of its food and drugs. By 2010, the plan should "significantly reduce the number of incidents caused by substandard food or drug products," according to the state news agency.

But Jeremy Haft, an expert in Chinese business and founder of BChinaB Inc., like Sparks, was not totally convinced.

He said China's plan could work, but noted that the statement is not exact and does not specify how much of a reduction would be a "significant" reduction.

Still, he said it is clear China realizes the damage poor products can have on its bottom line.

"They're taking this very seriously," he said.

Haft's New York firm helps other companies doing business in China, including maintaining quality control at Chinese factories.

He said China's government has its obstacles to overcome, but also has a major advantage.

The Chinese government is a huge bureaucracy, said Haft, author of "All the Tea in China," a book about doing business in China.

But he also said that the Communist country also quickly can bring about change since there aren't several political parties debating policy.

"This is one of the benefits of having a one-party system," he said.

I agree with this posting and kind of wish we had the opportunity to do the same with our political leaders that fail to uphold the constitution and the laws of this land.
 

Mike

Well-known member
wish we had the opportunity to do the same with our political leaders that fail to uphold the constitution and the laws of this land.

There would be a shortage of rope. :wink:
 
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