China on Tuesday (November 18, 2008) urged the US to lift its ban on Chinese dairy products, which had been detained due to fears of melamine contamination.

The US last week ordered for Chinese-made food products to be stopped at the border unless importers could certify the products are free of dairy ingredients or free of melamine.

The government had been successful in its crackdown on melamine contamination and had reined in the problem, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang.

The ban will affect bilateral trade and it is hoped that the US can lift the ban as soon as possible, said Qin.