A review of Chinese fish trade involving the development and limitations of food safety strategy

The export growth of Chinese fisheries is reviving significantly after a chain of food safety incidents in 2007, but regulatory aspects associated with the scale and rapidity of this revival are far from optimal. Quality and safety problems of Chinese fishery products have remained as a primary impediment to consolidating the country's trade competitiveness in major foreign markets. Continual recurrence of safety scandals due to enterprises' wrongful production and processing practices has frustrated the importers' confidence in Chinese food safety control efficacy. This article attempts to offer some insights into the principal development dilemmas inherent in China's fisheries economic plan to explain the root of government regulatory failures. It further analyzes the opportunities and channels for Chinese government to graduate from a responsive approach tailored to foreign demands, and to take a more cooperative instance when dealing with ever-increasing international food safety standards related to fisheries.