China has asked the General Secretariat of Municipalities to review its ban on imports of chicken from China. The ban was imposed on June 10 following reports of an outbreak of bird flu among Chinese poultry.

A GSM spokesman said that a meeting would be held this week to consider the request. "We have received a communication from the Chinese government requesting the lifting of the ban and it will be looked into at the meeting," he said.

A report issued by the General Administration of the People's Republic of China For Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine states that no cases of bird flu have been detected in the country.

"The Chinese government has always attached great importance to the prevention and surveillance of avian Influenza (bird flu), especially after the outbreak in Hong Kong in 1997," it says.

"The Chinese government has further intensified its effort in avian Influenza prevention by putting in place a sound epidemic surveillance network, an epidemic prevention regime and an emergency response regime across the country.

"Animal epidemic prevention agencies tested serological samples numbering 471,203, 491,942 and 517,197 in 1998, 1999 and 2000 respectively, with results showing negative.

"Chinese Inspection and Quarantine authorities also tested serological samples numbering 511,000, 419,000, 499,000 and 230,000 in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001 (January through June) respectively, with results showing negative.

"No avian Influenza has been found on the Chinese mainland. Therefore, countries including Russia and Malaysia have resumed the importation of poultry meat from China. And South Korea has resumed the import of poultry meat from some Chinese establishments."

A spokesman for the Economic and Commercial Section of the Chinese Consulate in Dubai added, "The focus is on the safety of chicken imported from China, and statistics have proved effectively that we don't have any cases of avian influenza."

The UAE ban was imposed after the GSM was alerted to evidence of bird flu in mainland China. The precautionary measure was issued until further investigation and the impact of bird flu on human consumption could be fully understood, along with safety measures taken in China.

According to the Chinese Embassy, 12,000 tonnes of frozen chicken worth $14.87 million were exported to the UAE in 2000.