China forbids any direct or indirect imports of poultry and bird products from the Republic of Korea (ROK), according to a joint announcement made by the Ministry of Agriculture and State Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine Tuesday.

Cases of a highly infectious strain of bird flu have been reportedly confirmed in the central part of ROK. The two ministries required any ROK poultry and bird products already in China to be returned or destroyed, to prevent the infection from entering China.

(Xinhua News Agency December 24, 2003)