China is to ban poultry imports from Britain following the recent bird flu outbreak in the country, the Ministry of Agriculture said in a circular on Wednesday.

The circular, jointly issued by the ministry and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, called on quarantine authorities to intensify inspections to prevent the entry of the virus into China.

According to the circular, poultry and poultry products imported from Britain from Jan. 13 onwards will be returned or destroyed, while illegal imports will be destroyed under the supervision of quarantine authorities.

Poultry and poultry products found to have originated from Britain will be sealed up once discovered on ships, planes, or trains.

Earlier this month, Britain reported a bird flu outbreak at a Suffolk farm, resulting in the loss of 2,600 turkeys. It was the first time the deadly H5N1 strain had been found on a British farm.

(Xinhua News Agency February 15, 2007)