FDA gets US State Department OK for China offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou

The Food and Drug Administration has received approval from the US State Department to establish eight full-time positions at US diplomatic posts in China, pending authorization from the Chinese government. The agency described the move as "an important step forward in the FDA's plans to hire and place FDA staff in China over the next 18 months." In addition, the FDA will employ five local Chinese nationals to work with the agency. The drug regulator's offices will be located at the US Embassy in Beijing and the Consulates General in Shanghai and Guangzhou.

Murray Lumpkin, the FDA's Deputy Commissioner for International and Special Programs, said: "in an age when a border is not a barrier, the globalized economy demands nothing less than heightened regulatory interoperability, information exchange and cooperation, especially on product quality and enforcement matters." Dr Lumpkin added: "along with the important memoranda of agreement signed with two FDA counterpart Chinese agencies, our efforts to fill permanent FDA positions in China are a significant step toward ensuring access to safe food, drugs and medical devices in the global market."

The agreement referred to by Dr Lumpkin was the culmination of a process started with USA-China bilateral meetings on food and drug safety last year (Marketletter August 6, 2007).