The decision by the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate takes effect today and expands on parts of the 1997 version of the law by detailing what constitutes "crimes of severe consequences."

Supreme People's Court officials said the new ruling means government officials will have committed such crimes if they allow the production and sale of fake medicine or food or if they fail three times to probe and punish producers and sellers of fake and shoddy products.

Such infractions could result in prison sentences of up to five years, according to China's Criminal Law.

Fake and shoddy products have become a major concern of the public in recent years. Premier Zhu Rongji recently pledged to strengthen laws aimed at weeding poor-quality goods out of the market.

A national meeting on the rectification of market order last week also stressed on the issue of fake and shoddy goods.

(China Daily 04/10/2001)