Tuesday, July 10, 2007

China Executes Ex-Food and Drug Chief

AP via MyWay.com | ALEXA OLESEN

BEIJING (AP) - China executed the former head of its food and drug watchdog on Tuesday for approving untested medicine in exchange for cash, the strongest signal yet from Beijing that it is serious about tackling its product safety crisis.

The execution of former State Food and Drug Administration director Zheng Xiaoyu was confirmed by state television and the official Xinhua News Agency.

During Zheng's tenure from 1998 to 2005, his agency approved six medicines that turned out to be fake, and the drug-makers used falsified documents to apply for approvals, according to previous state media reports. One antibiotic caused the deaths of at least 10 people.

1 comment:

Jim Anderson Stivers said...

In this particular instance one can see the barbarian mentality of the Chinese Communist. Certainly the man should be punished, but to sentence him to death?

This is about public reaction and erasing or diminishing some of the fears about the import of Chinese foods.

It was done to make an example, not only of the man that was sentenced to death, but to make the USA feel a little more re-assured.

Never mind the problem of food safety still exist. And the USA is a much to blame for this as China.

Jim Anderson Stivers, Frankort,KY.