Tuesday, July 10, 2007

China Executes Ex-Drug Chief

Via Bloomberg.com -

July 10 (Bloomberg) -- China executed its former chief drug regulator for taking bribes in a crackdown on fake medicine, a warning that the country intends to deal sternly with corruption.

Zheng Xiaoyu, 63, had been sentenced to death May 29. The state-run Xinhua News Agency reported his execution today, and officials separately outlined a plan to improve drug and food safety, conceding the system isn't strong enough and the trend ``isn't promising.''

China, the world's biggest exporter of consumer products, is under pressure to strengthen regulation after a series of scares ranging from contaminated toothpaste to drug-tainted seafood. The approach of next year's Olympic Games, which will draw an estimated 1.7 million visitors to Beijing, has increased the urgency of bolstering public confidence.

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