Beijing responds to Washington's charge against Chinese mask manufacturer

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) has responded to a recent charge filed by the US Department of Justice against a Chinese mask manufacturer. Washington accuses the company of producing and exporting misbranded and defective masks to the United States.

The US Department of Justice sued a Chinese mask manufacturer called King Year Packaging and Printing Company in early June. The indictment states the company produced and exported nearly half a million misbranded and defective masks to the US in April. Those masks were branded as N95 respirators, but their actual effects fall well below the minimum 95 percent filtration standard.

CGTN has received exclusive response from MOFCOM to this case:

The Ministry said that from its preliminary understanding, the company charged in the case is a non-medical mask producing company. But it was not on the list of Non-Medical Use Face Masks Companies with Certification or Authorization from other Countries. The list was released by the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Medical and Health Products.

Beijing said the quality of epidemic prevention medical supplies affects people's lives and health worldwide. The Chinese government said it has consistently prioritized the quality and safety of these products. In order to better support the international community's battle against COVID-19, China has been taking a series of measures to strengthen the oversight of exported medical supplies, and to regulate exporting orders. China has seen effective results from those measures, and received positive responses from the international community. China said it is willing to strengthen cooperation with other countries, including the US, and make joint efforts to defeat the pandemic and construct a strong health community.