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TOKYO: Japanese government and business leaders were holding an emergency meeting on Friday to assess the safety of imported goods amid growing global concern about Chinese products.
"People are increasingly interested in the safety of imported goods," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki told reporters in announcing the meeting.
"The government and the private sector will join hands for the safety of (imported) foodstuffs, commodities for daily use, pharmaceuticals and other goods," he said.
The one-day meeting includes officials from the health, farm, trade and foreign ministries as well as representatives from a private-sector frozen food association, department stores and other groups.
Shiozaki did not name any country but said it would be "fully possible that we will have talks with a country if there seems to be a problem".
Japan is heavily reliant on food imports and counts China as its second largest supplier after the United States.
China exported 8.2 billion dollars worth of food to Japan in the last fiscal year to March, accounting for 17 percent of Japan's imports, according to finance ministry figures.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met this week with a Japanese trade mission and pledged to step up food safety, according to the trade mission.
China's safety standards have come under sharp international criticism amid regular reports of fake, shoddy or dangerous goods emanating from the nation's chaotic and corrupt food and drug industry.
Reports in the United States of tainted pet foods, dangerous toys, drugs, fish, cosmetics and other products from China have led to a spate of recalls and bans there.
US President George W. Bush ordered top aides on Wednesday to review the safety of imports into the United States amid public outrage at the scandals.
- AFP/so
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