BEIJING : China has temporarily banned aquatic products from Indonesia after finding bacteria and chemicals in excessive amounts in some imports from the Southeast Asian nation, state media said Saturday.

All fish and other seafood products from Indonesia must be returned or destroyed, and those that have already entered the China market must be checked again, the Beijing Times reported.

The rule was introduced by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, which cited various instances of tainted products, including salmonella in Indonesian eel.

The safety of China's own exports has been the cause of considerable concern in recent months, following the discovery of health hazards in everything from toys to toothpaste made in China.

This has been relatively under-reported in the local Chinese media, which have instead highlighted China's efforts to prevent dangerous products from being imported into its own market.

- AFP/ir

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