Public Health
The recent bird flu outbreak, reports of dead pigs and contaminated food products, and dangerous levels of air pollution, have raised concerns among both China's own citizens and American consumers about the Chinese government's ability to cope with these problems. To what extent has China been forthcoming to its citizens and the international community about incidents involving pollution, food and drug safety, and public health hazards? What is the extent of Chinese cooperation with U.S. officials and the international community on these issues?
Chinese officials reportedly have refused to disclose information on soil contamination surveyed during a four-year national project completed in 2010 on the grounds that the survey data is a "state secret" (Dong Zhengwei's Sina blog, 25 February 13) (Dong's blog). Dong Zhengwei, a Beijing-based environmental attorney, submitted a multi-question open government information (OGI) request to the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) on January 30, 2013, (Dong's blog, 2 February 13). On February 20, 2013, the MEP responded to Dong's request by providing some of the information he applied for, but it did not provide soil pollution data from the survey, as that data was designated as a "state secret" (Dong's blog, February 25, PDF document).
The following text was retrieved from Xinhua on January 30, 2013.
The following Chinese text was retrieved on December 1, 2016, from the website of the PRC Central Government.
The National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) reviewed a revised draft of the Mental Health Law (NPC, 29 October 11) during its bimonthly session in late October 2011. In June 2011, the State Council Legislative Affairs Office had released an initial draft (Xinhua, 10 June 11) for public comment. This draft was "repeatedly revised" before being sent to the NPCSC for review, according to a November 21 Sina report. A draft had also been passed "in principle" in a September 2011 State Council executive meeting chaired by Premier Wen Jiabao (PRC government, 19 September 11), but it is unclear which draft the participants reviewed.
Hu Jia's Release
Authorities released Hu Jia into the care of his wife, Zeng Jinyan, in the early morning of June 26, 2011, according a New York Times report (26 June 11). On her Twitter page, Zeng Jinyan reported that they would not be able to receive visitors, indicating that numerous security vehicles were stationed outside their home in Beijing. Zeng said that she had returned to Beijing on June 19 after her landlord, citing unidentified pressure, served her a notice of eviction from her apartment in Shenzhen Special Economic Zone. According to Zeng, eight security personnel escorted her from the Beijing airport.
Prior Advocacy Efforts and Official Harassment
On April 20, 2011, the Ministry of Health (MOH) posted on its Web site a Letter Soliciting Opinions on Announcement Banning the Use of Bisphenol A (BPA) in Infant Food Containers. The letter asks for comments on an attached draft announcement by April 29, and is addressed to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC), the Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine (AQSIQ), the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA), and the Food Safety Commission. The announcement, which in its final form would be issued jointly by MOH, MIIT, MOFCOM, SAIC, AQSIQ, and SFDA, states that BPA is widely used in production of chemical products and food-related products, such as food packaging and containers, and that the BPA can leach into the food itself, which may pose a risk to food safety.