COVID-19: China asks MEA to import certified testing kits, PPE
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, April 16
Reacting to reports of defective personal protection equipment (PPE) having been exported to India, China has asked all sourcing authorities to be wary and has suggested that the problem may have arisen because the sourcing may have been done disregarding the genuineness or the ability of the supplier.
There have been reports that nearly 90,000 PPE kits from China have failed the Indian quality and safety test.
Of them, about 50,000 were among the 1.70 lakh donated units which arrived from China on April 5. Also smaller consignments of PPE, many from China, also failed the safety test.
Chinese Embassy spokesperson Ji Rong skirted the issue of even donated kits turning out to be faulty which are presumed to have been checked by the donators.
Ji had a word of advice for the Ministry of External Affairs which is in the forefront of India’s hunt for PPE, ventilators and testing kits.
“Some countries, including India, raised their purchasing demands through diplomatic channels, and we recommend qualified companies. We hope that foreign buyers can choose products certified by Chinese regulatory authorities and with production qualifications when importing relevant products,” she said.
Recently, China introduced stricter regulatory measures, requiring exporters to provide written statements that their exports have obtained the registration certificate for medical device from the State Food and Drug Administration and met the quality standards of the importing country or region.
