China protests U.S. seafood action

BEJING, China, June 30 (UPI) -- China Saturday called the U.S. detention of its seafood "unacceptable" and suggested the fish may have been tainted in the United States.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it would not release farm-raised catfish, basa, dace and shrimp into the U.S. foodchain unless Chinese suppliers prove the shipments are free of harmful residues.

Chinese leaders protested late Friday, saying the United States should allow the importation of any seafood containing a sanitation certificate issued by the China Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine, China's official news agency Xinhua reported Saturday.

The "indiscriminate ban of all exports of such Chinese aquatic products is unacceptable", said Li Changjiang, director of China's Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine. He urged U.S. inspectors to investigate whether the seafood was being contaminated after arrival in the United States.

The FDA said a team would travel to China to try and negotiate a solution to the problem.