August 31, 2010

China mulls over resuming Japanese beef trade

China is considering the possibility of resuming Japanese beef imports nearly nine years after they were banned due to the outbreak of mad cow disease in Japan, according to reports.

Zhi Shuping, director of China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, relayed the plan to Japanese Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Masahiko Yamada, Japanese officials said.

The Chinese official was quoted as saying China will send a fact-finding team to Japan to confirm the safety of Japanese beef.

Yamada is visiting the Chinese capital for an economic ministerial meeting between Japan and China.