The "dumpling poisoning" case involving China and Japan was believed by both sides to be an individual contrived case of sabotage, and should not have any impact on the planned state visit to Japan by Chinese President Hu Jintao, China's top quality control official said in Beijing on Thursday.

"The Chinese and Japanese police share the view that the dumpling incident is an individual contrived case of sabotage. I believe it won't have any impact on President Hu's planned state visit to Japan," Li Changjiang, head of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), told a press conference on the sidelines of the annual parliament session.

Li said that investigation into the case is still underway, while closer cooperation between the police of both countries is needed to find out the truth.

Japanese media reported 10 people fell ill in December and January after consuming frozen meat dumplings produced by a Chinese food company, prompting both countries to launch a prolonged and so far still inconclusive investigation. Some worry that the two countries' differences over the incident may cast a shadow on bilateral relations, affecting the planned visit of President Hu in particular.

(Xinhua News Agency March 13, 2008)