State Department: FDA Personnel Approved for China
For Immediate Release
Contact: Amanda Mahnke
(202) 225-2605
Congressional visit and hearing lead to major upgrade in U.S. food, drug and medical device safety personnel in China;
Larsen and Kirk call on Consumer Product Safety Commission to follow suit
March 13, 2008
Washington, D.C. — The State Department announced the approval of eight new U.S. direct-hire full-time permanent positions for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in China – four in Beijing, two in Shanghai and two in Guangzhou. U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL) and U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02), co-chairs of the U.S.-China Working Group, led a product safety mission to China last August to press the Chinese government to allow FDA personnel greater access for inspections. During the mission, Kirk and Larsen secured the support of the U.S. Ambassador to China to accommodate additional FDA personnel.
“Additional FDA personnel in China will strengthen the effectiveness of U.S. inspections and help stop unsafe food, drugs and medical devices from entering the United States,” Larsen said. “Adding on-the-ground Consumer Product Safety Commission staff should be the next step. We must continue to strengthen our safety infrastructure so unsafe toys and products are stopped in foreign ports, not found in American living rooms.”
“This is a major victory for American families and a positive development in U.S.-China relations,” Kirk said. “Additional FDA personnel in China will boost the safety and quality of imported food, drugs and medical devices. We must now continue this upgrade to our product safety infrastructure by sending full-time Consumer Product Safety Commission personnel to China.”
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