China urged Washington on Tuesday to lift new restrictions that U.S. health officials have imposed on imported foods from China, insisting Beijing has taken effective measures to improve food safety standards since it was hit by a recent tainted milk scandal. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said it regretted the move by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last Thursday to order dozens of imported foods from China held at the border. Most are ethnic treats, including snacks, drinks and chocolates, according to a report of Associated Press. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also plans to open three offices in China this week in an unprecedented effort to improve the safety of exports headed to America amid recurring product safety scares. Qin Gang, a ministry spokesman, said Chinese quality inspection authorities strictly examine exported products to ensure they meet the standards of importing countries. «We hope the U.S. side will take seriously China's major concerns because what they are doing now will impact on our trade. We hope the U.S. will lift the restriction sooner than later,» Qin told a regular news briefing.
