时事资讯:中国坚持对从欧盟进口猪肉实施新规定

【英文原文】

China Rebuffs EU Lobbying To Lift Rule On Pork

China stuck to its position of imposing new requirements on pork imports from several European countries on Wednesday, following a meeting here between the European Union's health chief and Chinese food-safety officials.

Last week, China announced new measures on imports of pork from four EU nations -- Denmark, France, Italy and Spain -- as well as Canada, requiring certification that the animals used for the meat were free of the H1N1 influenza virus. Pork imports from Northern Ireland were earlier subject to restrictions.

The EU opposes the measures because they impose additional costs on exporters, and it says its pork products are safe.

'In the whole of the European Union, we only had a case in a particular farm in Northern Ireland of the H1N1 virus and we have taken very strict measures regarding the biosecurity of that farm,' said EU Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou.

Ms. Vassiliou cited a May joint declaration by the World Health Organization, Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Organization for Animal Health stating that H1N1 isn't transmitted through the consumption of pork.

'What we are interested in is that the importation of pork will not be restricted, because there is no danger,' said Ms. Vassiliou.

China defended the actions. 'We have to protect China from the transmission of the epidemic from overseas, and we also have to prevent the epidemic in China from spreading further,' said Yu Taiwei, head of food safety for imports and exports at the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, or Aqsiq.

Mr. Yu denied that the move constitutes a trade restriction. 'The measures comply fully with the WTO regulations,' he said.

'Every country in the world should oppose trade protectionism; this is the position of the central government,' said Wang Yong, head of Aqsiq.

U.S. government and pork-industry representatives have also complained about China's ban of U.S. pork because of H1N1 concerns.