Comparative Study on Food Safety of China's Imported from Developed Countries and Countries along the Belt and Road

Abstract

Developed countries and regions had been the main source of imported food for China in the past. However, as China attached great importance to the diversification of food import sources, the importance of countries along the 'Belt and Road' (B&R) was growing. There was less research on the new changes and challenges the diversified sources of imported foods would bring to China's food safety. This paper compared the quantity and types of imported foods from developed countries and regions and countries along the B&R from 2013 to 2021, as well as the reasons for rejected imported foods. The results showed that from 2013 to 2021, the proportion of imported foods from developed countries and regions decreased from 45.20% to 43.31%, while that from countries along the B&R increased from 17.89% to 22.38%. By comparing the rejections of imported foods from the two sources from 2013 to 2021, it was found that the prevention and control level of microbial, animal and plant diseases in countries along the B&R was weaker than that of developed countries and regions. However, developed countries and regions still had advantages in providing high-grade food, and might continue to play an important role in China's imported food trade in the future. The results of this study can provide reference for China to address the challenges brought by the diversification of imported food.

Keywords

• imported food
• 'belt and road'
• developed countries
• food safety