Joint Letter of Intent Regarding Cooperation between the Department of Health of Canada and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People's Republic of China

The Department of Health of Canada, and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People's Pepublic of China, hereafter referred to as the "Participants",

Recognizing the common goal and importance of protecting consumer health and safety, and the opportunity to discuss their continued cooperation in this area, during the Minister of Health Canada's visit to the People's Republic of China in September 2010;

Wishing to reaffirm their commitment to, and also focus their cooperation in, the area of consumer product safety under the existing Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Health of the Government of Canada and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People's Republic of China (MOU), signed at Beijing, China on 27 November, 2007;

Being aware that lasting relations between, and benefits to, their respective countries will require cooperation based on regular and ongoing exchange mechanisms;

Have come to the following understanding:

Areas of cooperation

• 1) The Participants have identified a number of subject areas for future cooperation that support the common objectives outlined in the MOU and which may serve as the foundation for an Action Plan, including:
  
  
  1. Enhanced exchange of legislative and regulatory frameworks, and other requirements;
  2. Improved exchange of scientific and technical standards, advice and expertise;
  3. Establishment of a formal information exchange mechanism to support safety issues and issues of non-compliance; and
  4. Enhanced coordination and inclusion of the Participants in broader international collaboration efforts already underway in the area of consumer product safety.

Action Plan

• 2) The Participants will work together to develop and implement in a timely manner an Action Plan, which will:
  
  
  1. confirm the subject matters with respect to which mutually acceptable exchanges and cooperation will be pursued; and
  2. set out how those exchanges and cooperation will occur over a specified time frame.

Signed in duplicate in Beijing on this 10^th day of September, 2010, in the English, French and Chinese languages, each version being equally valid.