China's drug safety situation remained generally stable in the first eight months of this year, the country's drug regulator said on Friday.
Li Li, administrator of the National Medical Products Administration, briefed the media on the supervision and regulation of medical products in China this year at a press conference in Beijing.
"From January to August this year, China conducted sampling inspection on 20,696 batches of drugs, with a qualified rate of 99.43 percent, and the drug safety situation remained generally stable," Li said.
China has ramped up efforts to boost the innovation of medical products in recent years, Li noted.
"In the first eight months of this year, the National Medical Products Administration approved 31 innovative drugs and 46 innovative medical devices, an increase of 19.23 percent and 12.16 percent, respectively, over the same period of last year. Substantial progress has been made in the overseas market reach of China-made innovative drugs such as small molecule targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and cell therapy. High-end medical devices such as surgical robots, artificial hearts, and carbon ion therapy systems have hit the market one after another, with some products in a leading position internationally," Li added.
China's drug safety situation remains stable in fist eight months: regulator
Bakers in San Francisco's Chinatown have been adding some new twists to traditional Chinese mooncakes to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on Sept 17 this year.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional Chinese festival celebrated on the night when the moon reaches its fullest and brightest on the 15th day of the eighth month on the lunar calendar. Sharing mooncakes, a classic Chinese baked pastry that symbolizes family reunions during the harvest season, with loved ones is an important part of the festival celebrations.
The iCake Bakery in the heart of the city's Chinatown is especially busy at this time of year. This year, the bakery owner Hannah Zhang invited Judy Lee, the vice president of the San Francisco Chinese Chamber of Commerce, to make mooncakes.
"So we have here a black sesame filling. It's one of the most unique flavors we have at iCafe. And now we're going to put in an egg yolk," said Lee, translating for Zhang.
Just around the corner at the AA Cafe, owner Henry Chen has also been experimenting with some new twists on the classic treat.
"We have a lot of different [flavors], like the date, melon, pineapple, strawberry, mango and seasoned nuts," said Chen.
Visitors to San Francisco's Chinatown can find all sorts of mooncakes, especially in the months leading up to the Mid-Autumn Festival. Whether it is a traditional or modern variety, it is a way to connect with a tradition that stretches back more than a thousand years and to remind people what the historic Chinatown community has to offer.
"In the spirit of the Moon Festival, it gives us another reason to gather with our friends and family to attract people who've never been to San Francisco's Chinatown and see why there's so much preservation here. It is the oldest Chinatown in the nation still," said Lee.
Bakers in San Francisco offer new treats for mooncake lovers for Mid-Autumn Festival
