Bush targets import safety amid China worries

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President George W. Bush ordered top aides yesterday to review the safety of imports into the United States amid public outrage over a series of health scares centered on goods from China.

"The American people expect their government to work tirelessly to make sure consumer products are safe," he said, after signing an executive order creating a high-level task force to assess US safeguards and report back in 60 days.

Bush appointed Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt to lead the panel, which will work to "review the procedures in place, the regulations in place, the practices in place to make sure that our food supply remains the safest in the world."

"This is not a slap at China," White House spokesman Tony Snow insisted when asked whether a spate of problems with Chinese imports had led to the decision. "We get food imports from 150 countries around the world."

Meanwhile, China's Xinhua news agency said US and Chinese officials would hold five days of talks in Beijing starting July 31 to improve food safety mechanisms as the dispute put new strains on Sino-US trade relations.

China's safety standards have come under sharp international criticism amid regular reports of fake, shoddy or dangerous goods emanating from the nation's chaotic and corrupt food and drug industry.

Reports in the United States of tainted pet foods, dangerous toys, drugs, fish, cosmetics and other products from China have led to a spate of recalls and bans there.

Bush, who did not name any countries, said the task force would assess US import rules; work with countries that export to US markets to make sure their safeguards are sufficient; and make sure importers meet US standards.

Snow downplayed the likelihood of new legislation emerging from the working group but suggested that it might overhaul rules and restrictions at government agencies that oversee imports.

Chinese officials have blamed foreign media for exaggerating the issue but have also admitted there is a serious problem with food hygiene and safety standards in the nation of 1.3 billion people.

Toxic seafood, virus-plagued pigs and chemical-laden toothpaste are just some of the problems to have hit headlines around the world in recent months.