Japan, China agree on food poisoning probe
Tuesday, 19 August 2008
TOKYO, Aug 18, (AFP): The foreign ministers of Japan and China agreed to boost cooperation to probe toxic Chinese-made dumplings, an issue that has caused a furore in Japan, officials said today.
Japan's Masahiko Komura raised the dumpling issue in a meeting Sunday in Beijing that also touched on a range of issues including Tibet and the joint development of gas fields, Japan's foreign ministry said.
Komura's talks with counterpart Yang Jiechi came as relations rapidly warm between the two Asian economic giants after decades of mistrust due in part to the legacy of Japanese imperialism.
"The two sides agreed that the investigative authorities of both countries should have a meeting as soon as possible ... to find out the truth about the food poisoning cases," a foreign ministry statement said.
Ten people in Japan suffered pesticide poisoning in December and January after eating the dumplings imported from China, while thousands more complained about feeling ill.
Japan's Masahiko Komura raised the dumpling issue in a meeting Sunday in Beijing that also touched on a range of issues including Tibet and the joint development of gas fields, Japan's foreign ministry said.
Komura's talks with counterpart Yang Jiechi came as relations rapidly warm between the two Asian economic giants after decades of mistrust due in part to the legacy of Japanese imperialism.
"The two sides agreed that the investigative authorities of both countries should have a meeting as soon as possible ... to find out the truth about the food poisoning cases," a foreign ministry statement said.
Ten people in Japan suffered pesticide poisoning in December and January after eating the dumplings imported from China, while thousands more complained about feeling ill.