NANNING, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- China and the Philippines on Sunday signed the minutes of meeting on import and export food safety in the southern China city of Nanning.

    Under the document, signed between China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) and the Philippine Department of Health during the first China-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine which opened here Sunday, both the Chinese and Philippine sides agreed to establish a food safety cooperation mechanism.

    Through the operation of this mechanism, both sides will inform and consult each other about the quality and safety problems found in bilateral food trade in a timely and actively manner to solve the problems properly, establish for regulators and technical experts from both sides a channel for their communication, and exchange and reciprocal visits.

    Both sides will also exchange timely the laws, regulations, standards, inspection procedures and methods of both sides concerning import food inspection and supervision, and their latest changes, and notify each other about information on imported and exported food to crack down on the illegal activities of food trade.

    The Chinese side hoped that the Philippines side would provide its comments to the submitted draft memorandum of understanding between the AQSIQ of China and the Department of Health of the Philippines on the establishment of food safety cooperation mechanism. The Philippine side agreed to study it carefully and to offer its feedback timely, so that consensus could be reached as early as possible.

    Before the establishment of the cooperative mechanism, both sides agreed to assign an official from each side to be in charge of notifying related information on import and export food safety, while helping settle issues of food safety.

    According to the document, the two sides reviewed the cooperation on food safety, especially the cooperation on dealing with the pupils' uncomfortable issue in Cebu, the Philippines, as well as the latest progress. Both sides agreed to continue the cooperation to treat the issue justifiably and properly.

    "The Chinese side informed the measures taken by the Chinese governments to ensure the food safety. The Philippines side appreciated for the introduction," the document says.

    The minutes was signed after "a friendly discussion on issues of import and export food" between AQSIQ Deputy Director Wei Chuanzhong and Alexander Padilla, under secretary of Department of Health, and Director Leticia-Barbara Gutierrez of the Bureau of Food and Drugs of the Philippines in Nanning on Saturday.

    During the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on formaldehyde residue in food. The Chinese side hoped that the Philippine side would treat the issue scientifically, while the Philippine side said that they were carrying their evaluation and might adjust related policies to this effect.

    In the meantime, AQSIQ and National Agency of Drug and Food Control of Indonesia also signed minutes of meeting. The document says that the two sides reviewed the cooperation on food safety, and pointed out that there were some problems such as lacking of efficient communication and adequate technical cooperation. The two sides exchanged their views on formaldehyde residue in food, and agreed to conduct technical cooperative research on the issue.

    At the request of Indonesia side, the Chinese side briefed Chinese management and practice system on export of food, according to the document.