Countries with reported cases of avian flu or foot-and-mouth disease will not be permitted to import animals or animal products to China, according to a notice from the Ministry of Agriculture on Tuesday.

There were reports of avian flu cases in Botswana and Denmark in May.

The ministry's notice states that avian products from countries with reported cases of avian flu will be returned or incinerated. If these products are found on ships, aircraft or trains passing through or with scheduled stops in China, they will be sealed.

China's quarantine inspection organization will further increase their efforts to protect the safety of animals in China.

Also on Tuesday the Ministry of Agriculture announced outbreaks of Asian Type foot-and-mouth disease in Hubei and Gansu provinces.

The outbreaks have been contained within a village in Hubei's Changyang County in central China and another in Jiayuguan City of northwestern Gansu Province, the ministry said.

(Xinhua News Agency, China Daily May 31, 2006)