 China, US vow to cooperate on food security
(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-12-06 08:02
China and the United States agreed on Friday to boost their capabilities to cope with emergencies on food security and product safety. The agreement was included in a document outlining the results of the two-day fifth round of the Sino-US Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED). According to the agreement, the two countries will evaluate the realization of existing contracts and brief each other on the progress of their projects. The US Consumer Product safety Commission will also take into consideration China's opinion on the implementation of the US Consumer Product safety Improvement Act of 2008. The two nations reaffirmed that they wish to realize an agreement on foodstuffs, as well as a memorandum of understanding on food security information exchange. China and the United States also agreed to participate in the activities of world organizations for animal health, the International Plant Protection Convention and the Codex Alimentarius Commission, among others. They also set up a Chinese herbal medicine cooperation committee and agreed the first batch of cooperation projects. Substitutes for endangered animals used in traditional herbal medicine will be included in topics for discussion for the working group. Led by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, the US delegation included several senior officials from the secretaries of agriculture, labor, health and the environment, among others. The high-profile economic dialogue concluded on Friday morning with consensus reached on the financial turmoil and critical issues of the two economies. The SED was initiated in 2006 by President Hu Jintao and President George W. Bush. Xinhua
(China Daily 12/06/2008 page2) |
