Speakers:
Jiang Fan, first-level inspector of the Department of Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Commerce
Jin Hai, chief of the Department of General Operation at the General Administration of Customs
Liu Weijun, head of the Department of Certification Regulation at the State Administration for Market Regulation
Zhang Qi, deputy head of the Department of Medical Device Regulation at the National Medical Products Administration
Chairperson:
Mi Feng, spokesperson of the National Health Commission
Date:
April 5, 2020
Mi Feng:
Friends from the media, good afternoon. I'm Mi Feng, spokesperson of the National Health Commission (NHC) and deputy director of the NHC's Department of Publicity. Welcome to the press conference held by Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council.
Today's press conference focuses on strengthening quality control of medical supplies and improving market regulation.
We have invited Ms. Jiang Fan, first-level inspector of the Department of Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Commerce; Mr. Jin Hai, chief of the Department of General Operation at the General Administration of Customs; Mr. Liu Weijun, head of the Department of Certification Regulation at the State Administration for Market Regulation; and Ms. Zhang Qi, deputy head of the Department of Medical Device Regulation at the National Medical Products Administration. They will answer your questions about the quality of exported products and how relevant certifications are granted.
First, I'll report on the COVID-19 situation in China.
On April 4, 31 provincial-level regions on the Chinese mainland as well as the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps reported 30 new cases of confirmed infections (25 imported cases and five domestic ones in Guangdong province), three deaths (all in Hubei province), and 11 new suspected cases (all of them imported). 213 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovering and 1,869 people who had been in close contact with infected patients were relieved from medical observation. The number of severe cases decreased by 36.
697 imported cases were being treated, with 18 in severe condition. 107 people from abroad were still suspected of being infected with the virus. As of April 4, the Chinese mainland had reported a total of 913 imported cases, of which 216 had been discharged from hospitals after recovering.
According to the figures reported by 31 provincial-level regions on the Chinese mainland as well as the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, as of 24:00 on April 4, 1,376 patients were still being treated, including 295 in serious condition. In all, 76,964 patients had been discharged after recovering, and 3,329 people had died of the disease. The overall confirmed cases on the mainland had reached 81,669, and 107 people were still suspected of being infected with the virus. So far, 713,110 people have been identified as having had close contact with infected patients, and 17,436 are now under medical observation.
On April 4, Hubei reported no new cases of confirmed infections, no new cases of suspected infections, and three deaths, all in Wuhan. 183 patients were also discharged after recovering, and all these patients were discharged in Wuhan. There remained 648 confirmed cases, including 644 in Wuhan; 267 were in serious condition, 264 of which were in Wuhan. As of 24:00 on April 4, 63,945 patients had been discharged from hospitals after recovering, including 46,794 in Wuhan. Hubei had reported 3,210 deaths, including 2,570 in Wuhan, and there is a total of 67,803 cases of confirmed infections, including 50,008 in Wuhan.
A total of 47 new asymptomatic COVID-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland on April 4, including 16 imported ones. Three asymptomatic cases, all of which were imported, were re-categorized as confirmed infections, and 50 were discharged from medical observation, including eight imported cases. The total number of asymptomatic cases on medical observation reached 1,024, and 244 of them are imported ones. As of April 4, a total of 1,261 confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), Macao SAR and Taiwan, including 862 cases in Hong Kong, 44 in Macao and 355 in Taiwan.
On April 4, the number of COVID-19 cases in severe condition in China fell below 300, and the number of confirmed cases hit less than 700. Thus, our treatment has proved effective. The top Chinese COVID-19 medical team is still working in Wuhan, providing personalized treatment to patients in severe condition, and improving the cure rate. According to the WHO, the global COVID-19 caseload has breached the one million mark. The WHO again stressed that every COVID-19 patient should be identified, tested, kept in quarantine and treated; and every COVID-19 contact should be traced. The spread of COVID-19 throughout the rest of the world has put pressure on Chinese port cities of entry; attention has been paid to their capacity for epidemic prevention and control as well as their ability to perform medical treatments and tests. In order to stem the leaks, collaborative efforts should be made for pandemic prevention and control, quarantine and inspection of inbound travelers, passenger transition, medical observation and community management on COVID-19. Such is the state of the epidemic.
Next, we will move on to questions. Please raise questions that are based on the theme of today's press conference, and identify your news outlet first. The floor is now open for questions.
CRI:
Premier Li Keqiang has indicated that China will continue to provide convenience for foreign countries' purchase of medical supplies, and the quality will be ensured. In order to further promote international cooperation among pandemic prevention and control, what are the specific measures being made by the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) to ensure the quality of medical supplies exports?
Jiang Fan:
Thank you for your interest in our work. Based on the deployments of the leading group of China's novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic response as well as the requirements being made by the meetings of the joint prevention and control mechanism of the State Council, the MOC has worked with the General Administration of Customs (GAC) and the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) to issue an announcement on the orderly export of medical supplies. The move aims to deepen international cooperation on pandemic prevention and control as well as strengthen the supervision over the quality of medical supplies exports. The announcement requires five categories of exports — including test kits, medical masks, medical protective clothing, ventilators and infrared thermometers — to be officially registered in China and meet the quality-control standards of respective export destinations. The customs shall grant access to those medical supplies based on certificates of registration approved by medical product administrations. The MOC will work with relevant departments to better implement this policy. If these medical supplies have any quality problems, we will conduct a thorough and strict investigation and impose punishments in accordance with the law. Such problems shall not be tolerated. We will spare no effort to ensure the quality of exports, set standards for businesses to operate with and safeguard the reputation of "Made in China," so as to better leverage the important role of medical supplies in preventing and controlling the pandemic. Thank you.
CCTV:
With the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for medical supplies is rapidly increasing worldwide. What measures is the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) taking to guarantee the exportation of these medical supplies in a timely and orderly manner? Thank you.
Jin Hai:
Thanks for your concern with regard to our work. At present, the spread of COVID-19 across the world is accelerating. The orderly exportation of medical materials becomes a critical measure to deepen international cooperation on pandemic prevention and control and to jointly tackle the global public health crisis. The GACC resolutely implemented the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions on pandemic prevention and control, earnestly implemented the decisions and deployment of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council and worked to perform our duty on the customs clearance of pandemic prevention materials. Since March 1, we have checked, cleared, and exported 10.2 billion yuan ($1.43 billion) worth of pandemic prevention and control materials.
To guarantee the orderly customs clearance of pandemic prevention and control materials, the GACC set up a special working group and strengthened organizational leadership on medical supplies exportation. We only release medical materials, including novel coronavirus detection reagents, surgical masks, medical protective suits, breathing machines and infrared thermometers, that are qualified with a medical equipment product registration certificate approved by the drug supervisory and administrative departments. We support enterprises to submit relevant certificates through electronic means. We strengthen the customs protection of intellectual property rights, and we resolutely punish infringements on pandemic prevention products. We crack down on all the illegal acts in accordance with the law, such as export fraud and concealment, secretly carrying, passing off fake goods as genuine ones and unqualified goods pretending to be qualified ones.
At the same time, the GACC actively helps enterprises to solve the problems and difficulties that arise during the process of customs clearance through various channels, such as a 12360 customs hotline. We vow to provide better customs clearance services for qualified enterprises, create a good customs clearance environment for the orderly exportation of medical materials, and support the international community in the unified fight against the pandemic. Thank you.
China Quality Daily:
Companies are required to obtain CE marks before exporting masks to Europe, but we have noticed some netizens report that CE marks can be purchased now. Is it true? If so, how would you regulate it? What should a company do if it gets a fake one this way? Thank you.
Liu Weijun:
Thanks for your question. It is about quality certification, which is a professional concept, so I would like to introduce it first.
Quality certification refers to the certification activities carried out by certification bodies to prove that products, services or company management systems conform to standards or technical specifications. It plays an active role in ensuring the quality and safety of products and promoting international trade. It is roughly divided into two categories in China: compulsory and voluntary. Compulsory certification means the state stipulates that certain products must be certified before they can leave the factory to be sold, exported or used in business activities. This is done to protect the health and safety of the people and the environment. Those in the current catalog of products subject to China's compulsory certification are all directly related to consumers; examples include cars, mobile phones, laptops, air conditioners and washing machines.
I would like to highlight that medical masks, protective clothing and ventilators are all products subject to the requirements of medical device registration and management, which is specified by the medical products administration authority but not subject to compulsory certification. When it comes to voluntary certification, companies apply for a certification based on market needs on a voluntary basis.
To be precise, CE marking indicates admittance rather than authentication. According to the EU, products falling under the CE directives must have the CE mark affixed before entering the EU market for sale. The conformity assessment includes two aspects: for most products falling under the directives, a company can make declarations of conformity, and as long as it can attest that the products meet the requirements of the applicable directives, the company can affix the CE mark on the products and put them into the EU market. However, high-risk products must be certified by notified bodies that are appointed by European authorities before they can have the CE mark affixed.
In addition, there are also discussions about the U.S. FDA "certification." FDA stands for U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which gives approvals rather than certification. In nature, it is a registration and management system of the government, like those that many countries have in place for drugs and medical devices.
As you mentioned just now, there have been issues with the certification process for some products being exported. In China, the essence of quality certification is delivering trust and serving development. Therefore, validity and authenticity are the life of the certification system. It is the role of the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) to supervise certification activities in accordance with the law and crack down on illegal activities.
For example, last year we investigated and punished 87 certification institutes for violations of relevant regulations, which account for 15% of the total organizations. Five of these organizations, which had serious problems, had their licenses revoked. In addition, we issued online warnings on two foreign organizations for conducting certification activities in China without permission from the government. We also strengthened inspections on certificated products sold online, removing about 17,000 products from shelves by the end of 2019, thereby safeguarding customers' interests.
Since the epidemic outbreak, we have focused closely on investigating and punishing illegal activities and irregularities involving the certification of products used to fight the epidemic. Right now, we are handling cases involving the misuse of certification symbols and advertisements with false information about certification. The SAMR has placed great importance on these problems and has planned to carry out a special rectification campaign aimed against irregularities in the certification of goods for export. Recently, it has released a notice on carrying out a special campaign to regulate certification activities in the field of respirators, protective clothing and other anti-epidemic items. At present, local market regulation departments are launching special rectification campaigns, focusing on such illegal activities as forging, falsely using, buying and selling authentication certificates, conducting certification activities without permission or in a non-standard way, and illegal pricing in the certification activities. Some serious cases will be made public after the investigation is complete.
Just now you also asked where complaints should be lodged. We have both the 12315 hotline and the 12315 online platform to receive complaints and reports. In addition, I would like to say that we hope enterprises, the media and consumers can all take part in the supervision of certification activities actively and provide any tip-offs they may have. Thank you.
China Guomen Time:
How does the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) strengthen supervision over critical epidemic prevention and control supplies, including COVID-19 detection reagents, surgical masks, medical protective suits, respirators and infrared thermometers, to ensure their quality and safety? Thank you.
Zhang Qi:
Thank you for your question. Since the outbreak of the epidemic, the NMPA has strictly implemented the policy decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council and taken strong measures to comprehensively step up quality supervision over medical devices for epidemic prevention and control.
First, supervision and inspection are enhanced. The NMPA has increased the supervision and inspection of manufacturers over their key production chains, including raw material purchasing, process control and the release of products from factories, to press their production in strict accordance with regulations and standards. In case of any problem found, the enterprise shall be ordered to make complete rectification to resolutely prevent unqualified products from entering the market and guarantee the quality and safety of medical devices at the origin.
Second, safety inspection is improved. By the end of March, a total of 8,069 inspections in the form of emergency registration inspections, emergency evaluation inspections and supervised sampling inspections had been conducted on medical devices for epidemic prevention and control. The result shows the medical devices meet quality requirements on the whole.
Third, supervisory checks are enhanced. The NMPA and the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) have dispatched several competent law enforcement officers to 14 key provinces and provincial cities, including Beijing, Tianjin, Zhejiang, Hubei and Guangdong to supervise and inspect the local quality control of medical devices for epidemic prevention and control and to ensure that all measures are implemented with full attention to detail.
Fourth, violations of laws and regulations are being tackled. The NMPA has worked with seven other departments to jointly crack down on violations of manufacturing and selling counterfeit and inferior medical devices to ensure the quality and safety of medical devices for epidemic prevention and control. Relevant cases of punishment have been released at the NMPA's official website.
Fifth, registration information is released promptly. Relevant registration information of the approved products has been released at the NMPA's official website and updated, subject to approval, to serve for the reference of purchasers and provide convenience for the relevant departments in the supervision of exports.
Next, the NMPA will cooperate with other departments to jointly supervise the quality of medical devices for pandemic prevention and control and guarantee supplies for battling the virus, protecting lives and the health of more people. Thank you.
CRNTT:
The announcement on ensuring that medical exportation runs in an orderly manner has been interpreted, from several points of view, as a way for China to restrict or even terminate exports of key medical supplies. How would you comment on the issue? Will the announcement affect China's timely assistance to the international community in the fight against the virus? Thank you.
Jiang Fan:
Thank you for your concern. It has been a question raised multiple times over the past few days. As an old Chinese saying goes: "A tiny favor should be returned with enormous gratitude"; we Chinese will never forget the assistance rendered from so many countries since we confronted the disease in the beginning. Now that the pandemic, having had its momentum controlled in China, is spreading in other parts of the world, we will multiply our efforts to reciprocate the international community's aid by providing support and assistance to certain countries and regions within our capacity, as long as the prevention and control work in our country remains stable. All in all, China has not and will never restrict medical exports.
According to the statement jointly issued by three ministries, more than 2,000 Chinese medical suppliers are registered at the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) and are comparatively sufficient to meet the demand of overseas purchasers. Their quality can also be guaranteed. Therefore, we would like to advise overseas purchasers to choose partners from the list issued by the NMPA. Otherwise, they may have trouble exporting commodities due to quality.
Over the past few days, our medical exports have secured stable growth. With China's medical exports expanding in an orderly manner, we are able to increase our capacity to continue bolstering the international community in the fight against the pandemic. I also want to accentuate that, along with the Chinese government's consistent efforts in ensuring the quality of medical products, it is of paramount importance to enhance processes of quality inspection in this particular moment when we are involved in controlling and preventing the virus from spreading. The purpose of this announcement aims at launching rigorous inspections on product quality and regulating export procedures, enabling medical supplies to play an increasingly significant role in the anti-virus endeavor around the world. This mirrors the Chinese government's resolution to be involved in the world's anti-pandemic battle and affirms China's proactive role as a major responsible country in the world. Thank you.
National Business Daily:
According to media reports, some countries alleged that medical products, including masks, bought from China had quality problems. What are the causes of the quality problems in China's medical exports? And what measures will China take to prevent substandard medical materials from entering the international market again? Thank you.
Jiang Fan:
Thank you for your question. We have also noticed relevant reports, and through multiple investigations, we found that the reports didn't show the whole picture. Some media outlets placed all the blame on the poor quality of Chinese products; but in fact, there were many factors, such as the different quality standards of Chinese and foreign products, differences in usage habits and even user error that might raise doubts about quality. For example, a previous batch of non-surgical masks for personal protection exported from China to the Netherlands was distributed to local hospitals. Here's the latest information I got: On the night of April 3, the Dutch health minister tweeted that a new batch of masks imported from China met the Netherlands' official criteria and had been approved for distribution.
Life is above everything else. The quality and safety of medical supplies are directly related to people's lives and health. At this rare time of global pandemic prevention and control, we must resolutely adopt strict measures to further control the quality of medical products and standardize exportation. According to a notice jointly issued recently by the Ministry of Commerce with the General Administration of Customs and the National Medical Products Administration, exports of five kinds of medical products, including COVID-19 testing kits, require certifications from China's National Medical Products Administration and must meet the quality control standards of importing countries or regions. The Ministry of Commerce, together with other relevant departments, will step up the supervision and control of production, certification, customs clearance and other aspects. Counterfeit and shoddy goods and disorderly acts will be severely punished in accordance with the law and will never be tolerated.
And of course, I would like to point out that it is international practice for importing countries and regions to ensure the quality of medical products entering their domestic market. While China takes the initiative to strictly control the quality of our exports, we also hope that relevant countries and regions can carry out the necessary quality inspection of import products and properly use the products in adherence to their applicable scope and operating procedures. As for the problems with procurement, we suggest that companies have full communications and negotiate in line with the contracts and the principles of commercialization.
Xinmin Evening News:
Recently we've noted that some Chinese enterprises are exporting epidemic prevention and control materials. Could you please tell us about that? Thank you.
Jin Hai:
Thank you for your question. According to statistics from the Customs, the export of epidemic prevention and control materials has risen since late March this year. From March 1 to April 4, Customs inspected and released main epidemic prevention and control materials with a total value of 10.2 billion yuan, including 3.86 billion face masks, 37.52 million sets of protective suits, 2.41 million infrared thermometers and 16,000 ventilators, with their value totaling 7.72 billion yuan, 910 million yuan, 330 million yuan and 310 million yuan, respectively. In addition, there were also 2.84 million COVID-19 testing kits and 8.41 million goggles. From the perspective of trade mode, the general trade accounted for 83%, with the value totaling 8.52 billion yuan. Customs authorities will continuously enhance supervision, improve services and support qualified and reputable enterprises to export medical supplies in an orderly way.
Shenzhen Special Zone Daily:
After the announcement regarding the orderly exportation of medical supplies was published, what do enterprises need to pay attention to in the clearance section?
Jin Hai:
We've received consultations on this matter. After the announcement was published, exporters of medical products including COVID-19 testing kits, medical face masks, medical protective suits, ventilators and infrared thermometers have to provide extra documentation when these goods go through customs. They need to provide written or electronic statements to ensure that the products have acquired China's medical equipment registration certificate and meet the requirement of related quality standards in the country or region where they will be imported. Customs authorities release the exports based on a registration certificate approved by medical product administrations.
I need to remind businesses in particular that the product quality should be guaranteed and the operation should be honest and in compliance with regulations. Before export declaration, related certificates should be prepared. During the process, the declaration elements, including "for medical use" or "non-medical use," the name of the product, specifications and so on should be filled in accurately so as to facilitate smooth clearance. Thank you.
China Consumer News:
In order to export face masks to the European Union (EU) and the United States, Chinese companies are required to have CE accreditation or follow the FDA's registration procedures. However, many of them are not aware of this and do not know which organizations have appropriate qualifications. We have learned that many companies blindly went through agents to get accreditation. We have seen companies queuing up to obtain export accreditation. Some companies have even suffered losses from doing this. What measures will the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) take to help Chinese companies solve these problems? Thanks!
Liu Weijun:
Thanks for your question. Indeed, China's pandemic prevention materials are playing an increasingly important role in the global fight against the COVID-19 outbreak, and there is a growing need around the world for them. Most of the pandemic prevention materials are medical equipment that is exported to markets in destination countries like the EU and the United States. Just as I said, products exported to the EU are required to meet the standards of the CE marking system, and products exported to the United States need to get FDA registration. The SAMR attaches great importance to the problems you just mentioned, and it will take active measures to facilitate the entry of Chinese products into European and American markets. We have compiled an accreditation information guide for exporting pandemic prevention materials such as face masks to the EU and the United States, which is available on the official websites and WeChat accounts of the SAMR and the Certification and Accreditation Administration of China. The guide includes relevant requirements for obtaining a CE mark and completing the FDA registration process. We hope that the guide will help Chinese companies to understand relevant requirements and resolve problems in a quick and direct manner. As I mentioned just now, some products have to get accredited by EU-approved organizations before they can enter the EU. The guide lists the names of organizations that are qualified to give such accreditation in China. In terms of medical equipment, Chinese companies are also required to meet the requirements of ISO13485, a global standard for medical devices. The guide also provides information regarding which organizations are able to provide such a certification. The guide will be continually updated in the future for the convenience for Chinese companies and to help them solve problems they encounter.
In addition, I would like to take this opportunity to give Chinese companies a special reminder. First, they must seek out authorized accreditation organizations. China has over 600 approved accreditation bodies that grant accreditation in the fields of products, services and management systems. Of course, the accreditation services are not limited to export products. Relevant information is available on the official website of the Certification and Accreditation Administration of China. Companies must use authorized organizations for accreditation services. Be careful to not get duped by unqualified organizations.
Second, enterprises shall understand the market access policies of export destinations. There are some instructions in the guidebook, such as surgical masks exported to the EU being classified into two types: sterile masks and non-sterile masks. According to the EU regulations, a manufacturer can affix the CE marking to its non-sterile masks once it has prepared a declaration of conformity. As for the sterile surgical masks, manufacturers have to obtain a CE certificate from an EU-authorized organization if they want to enter the EU market. To export surgical masks to the United States, manufacturers shall, in line with the country's relevant regulations, apply on the FDA website and submit relevant papers.
Third, enterprises shall carry out production and operation in accordance with the regulations of China and export destinations, and strengthen their product quality management. Exporters of medical materials shall obtain China's medical devices registration certificates and meet the quality standards of the importing country or region, as is clearly stipulated in a notice jointly issued by the Ministry of Commerce, the General Administration of Customs and the National Medical Products Administration. If any problem concerning product quality management occurs, such as one involving certification and evaluation, we must respond in a timely manner. Especially when there is false information and hype, we shall respond promptly and clear up misunderstandings. In so doing, we can not only protect the interests of enterprises, but also safeguard the reputation and image of Chinese products. Thank you.
Health News:
Many countries are badly in need of anti-COVID-19 supplies as the pandemic is spreading fast overseas. What will the Chinese government do to enhance international efforts to combat the pandemic? Thank you.
Jiang Fan:
Thank you for your question. As COVID-19 is spreading fast worldwide, we understand that more and more countries are facing severe challenges because we have been there. A virus knows no borders. Living in a community with a shared future, no one can be spared from the pandemic. The international community should cooperate and fight as one. So far, the disease prevention and control situation in China has continued to improve, but the task is still arduous as the country is accelerating its pace in resuming work, production and education. While satisfying domestic demand, many Chinese enterprises are overcoming various difficulties and working day and night to produce as many anti-epidemic materials as possible to help the global fight against COVID-19.
Following the deployments of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, and to promote international cooperation on pandemic prevention and control — as well as play our role as a responsible major country in the world — the Ministry of Commerce has worked together with other relevant departments to address the bottlenecks in satisfying international demands, the supply of medical materials, logistics and transportation, and customs clearance and authentication standards. At the same time, we will strengthen supervision over the quality of exports and expand the exportof medical supplies in an orderly way. As of April 4, 54 countries and regions, as well as three international organizations, had signed commercial procurement contracts with Chinese enterprises for medical supplies. Moreover, 74 countries and 10 international organizations are conducting procurement negotiations with Chinese companies.
Going forward, our priorities will include two aspects. First, we will accelerate the export of more medical supplies needed by the international community. Second, we will tighten quality control and ensure market order to contribute to the joint fight against the pandemic and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. Thank you.
CNR:
If the medical supplies, which are covered by the above-mentioned notice for exports issued by the three ministries, are self-use articles that are transported by luggage or sent by post, do people need to submit the medical device product registration certificate or extra documentation? Thank you.
Jin Hai:
Thanks for your question. It is closely related to our daily life. Regarding the exit personal articles for self-use, they do not belong to export goods if they are within a reasonable quantity, and they will not be defined as export goods. Consequently, it is not necessary to submit a declaration of commitment due to the customs required by the latest announcement, nor is it required to submit the medical device product registration certificate.
The exit personal postal articles do not fall in the category of export either, so people do not need to submit the declaration of commitment or the medical device product registration certificate.
I would like to remind you that, according to the No. 43 announcement by the General Administration of Customs in 2010, for personal postal articles sent to Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, the limit for each time shall be 800 yuan; and for articles sent to other countries and regions, the limit value for each time shall be 1,000 yuan. Thank you.
Phoenix TV:
Some media reports said that some of the COVID-19 test kits exported from China are not so accurate. What is the actual situation? Thank you.
Zhang Qi:
Thank you for your question. If you have been following the media reports, you may have noticed that at the regular press conference held by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 30, the spokesperson responded to the issue that China recommended qualified companies to foreign buyers via diplomatic channels, and we haven't received any complaints from the buyers about the products purchased via the above-mentioned channels.
Next, I will give an introduction to COVID-19 test kits approved by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). First, we sped up the approval process to ensure adequate supply. As of March 31, the NMPA has approved 25 test kits in response to the emergency, including 17 nucleic acid test kits and eight antibody test kits. In terms of manufacturing capacity, we can produce 3.06 million nucleic acid test kits and 1.2 million antibody test kits per day. The overall daily capacity has reached 4.26 million.
Second, the quality of the test kits is guaranteed. Since the outbreak, China has utilized a large number of test kits for clinical diagnosis, and they were proven to have good sensitivity and specificity, which met clinical needs and effectively worked during the epidemic prevention and control process.
Third, it is advisable to strictly follow the instructions on using the test kits. Ms. Jiang Fan just now also mentioned this point. The testing reagents that received emergency NMPA approval are divided into two categories, namely, nucleic acid test kits and antibody test kits. The latter are used either as a supplementary testing method for suspected cases whose nucleic acid tests are negative, or are used along with the nucleic acid test in the diagnosis of suspected cases. The antibody test kits can't be used for the confirmation and exclusion of COVID-19 infections, nor are they suitable for screening ordinary people. They can only be used by medical authorities. All of these are clearly stated on the instruction sheet. Please pay special attention to the usage instructions. We hope the media can also help promote the information.
Recently, based on the previous search channels, the NMPA has specifically sorted the registration information of five categories of anti-epidemic medical devices, including COVID-19 test kits, surgical masks, medical protective clothing, ventilators, and infrared thermometers. For further information, please check on the related section on NMPA's website. Thank you.
Mi Feng:
Thank you. Many media friends may still feel concerned about how China prevents imported cases. We will continue to focus on the issue of preventing imported cases according to the law in tomorrow's press conference. We will invite the officials with the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China, the Civil Aviation Administration of China, and the National Immigration Bureau to take questions from the media. We look forward to your continued attention.
Today's press conference is hereby concluded; thank you all.
Translated and edited by Zhu Bochen, Wang Yanfang, Xiang Bin, Li Xiao, Duan Yaying, Li Huiru, Wu Jin, Fan Junmei, Mi Xingang, Huang Shan, Zhang Junmian, Wang Yiming, Gong Yingchun, He Shan, Wang Qian, Zhang Liying, Liu Qiang, Yang Xi, Lin Liyao, Zhang Jiaqi, Guo Xiaohong, Zheng Chengqiong, David Ball, Scott Rainen. In case of any dispute over a discrepancy, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.